


The Domino Effect

by Reina1505



Series: In the world of Lies and Truth [1]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Kingsman (Movies), Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alpha James Bond, Alpha Sherlock Holmes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Ending - SPECTRE, Canon Divergence - Skyfall, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Gen, M/M, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Beta Read, Omega John Watson, Omega Q, Omega Verse, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, SPECTRE Fix-It, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 32,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21820468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reina1505/pseuds/Reina1505
Summary: The Domino Effect: The situation in which one event, often bad one, causes a series of related events, one following another.3 stories. 3 different persons. 3 dominos. All fall on different time, but lead to one and another.Her domino falls the moment her mother died, her short life in abusive orphanage and sent to secret facility somewhere unknown.Their dominos fall the moment of the death of their beloved person in the world.Will their dominos find each other? Or one of them will fall on their track before that?EDITED: Currently on hiatus for re-writing the whole thing (including the future plots)
Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, James Bond & Original Female Character(s), James Bond & Q, James Bond/Q, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Q & Original Female Character(s), Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, past James Bond/Vesper Lynd - Relationship
Series: In the world of Lies and Truth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596898
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I should make new chapter for my Fantastic Beast fanfic  
> Brain: No, writer's block  
> Me: Fine, what do you want?  
> Brain: New fic  
> Me: Alright.... What you got?
> 
> And this is what happened when my brain decided to make totally new story instead of update another fic.....
> 
> Special thanks to [WillofHounds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willofhounds/profile) for helping me brainstorming this fic and also dragging me into adding more and more fandom into this fic.....

Her mother never told her about her father at all. All she knew that her mother, who was a beta despite her look and personality like a nadeshiko yamato, fell in love with an alpha foreigner when she was a part-timer in a cafe near harbour during her studies, became his short-term lover, and left her here after his job was done. Couple months later, she discovered she was pregnant which resulted in her getting kicked out by her parents and forced to live in this small but homey apartment somewhere in Chiba.

Even so, her mother was a good and prideful woman, raising her all alone without any help and never took a lover after she was born. She worked at 2 places at once and still could spend time with her. She always welcomed her with warm food and delicious snacks when she came back from school.

It was her happiest days, but soon gone.

She still remembered that day, when everyone had gone home and she was left alone on school grounds to wait for her mother to pick her up. However, it was a policeman who picked her up and let her stay in police station. They tried to be so careful around her, she could hear and understand of what happened.

Her mother was killed in a hit-and-run and she was found late because the road was mostly empty during that time of accident. It was too late for her when she’s rushed to the hospital and she passed away, leaving her behind.

Her grandparents were called to pick her up since they were her last relatives, but they never welcomed her in their house and put her in an orphanage. The orphanage staff and the children often abused her, mostly because of how she looked at them with her unusual icy blue eyes. Her pale skin were full of wounds and bruises and her tears were dried up. She remembered there was only one child who was close to her since he's isolated like her, a small male omega. Other children used him as their scapegoat when they were doing something bad and most times, she stood up for him which ended up they got the same amount of abuse from both staff and the children.

Within the 2 years, she was taken away by a stranger that spoke with weird language and she was placed in a strange facility with other children around her age. She didn’t understand why she was even here, but she knew she was no longer herself.

By the age of 13, she didn’t know who she was now, she even forgot her mother’s name, her hometown and her own name.

Only her code name.

Seraph.

The facility trained her and other children in education and indoctrination into the world of assassination. She excelled in this strict training environment and in her marksman skills, which resulted in her being forced to snipe a traitor to his death and marked her first kill. Ever since that time, she’s sent into assassination missions, making her red path in this deadly world of assassination. She thought this would be her life now, killing and surviving.

At least, until she met them.

~0~0~0~

It was her sixth mission and easy one.

She was “temporary lent” to a billionaire kid which his rich parents had “generously donated lots of money” to the facility. He amused to see his parents got her, a young omega girl, as his “temporary bodyguard”, but didn’t question anymore after saw her kill.

“You’re such a beautiful and exotic omega, too bad your fangs are sharper than an alpha.” The son mocked her. “Perhaps it will be nice to see how sharp your fangs will be when you’re deep in your heat and begging for an alpha’s knot.”

She didn’t answer, knowing she would get more annoyed than now and would kill this obnoxious alpha “accidentally”. Good thing the facility put her in suppressants as soon as they discovered she was presented as an omega, but her training became more intense as omega had their own set of skills.

Being an omega was an advance, not a weakness for these people.

“Anyway, there will be a party tomorrow night.” He said it idly. “Put on a sexy dress, perhaps an easy dress which you can take it off to ‘entertain’ my friends.”

She did the opposite, wearing a full dress suit which annoyed him.

The house in this polish neighbourhood was packed with alphas and betas who partied hard and drank hard. Thanks to her training, she was left alone by these alphas.

“Huh? What are you doing here?”

...expect one.

She looked up to him, which she recognized as ABC (American-born Chinese), and was surprised to see him looking worried than flirty.

“You surely look underage. What are you doing here?” The man just kept talking as she got quiet to see his eyes were pure without any hints of malicious. “Don’t tell me you’re actually in age, only you just have a baby face.”

“....I’m 15.”

“What?!” He was shocked, but his shout didn’t get heard by anyone thanks to the loud music. “This party has alcoholic drinks! That bastard Allen can get arrested for having you here.”

“....you worry about me?” She asked quietly.

“Of course I am!” He answered in disbelief. “You’re underage in a party full of drunk alphas, let’s not mention you’re an omega!”

“I can knock all of them to their death.” She answered back.

“Girl, you will be out-numbered, especially alphas when they’re drunk are the worst.” The man sighed. “Just....get out through back door please.”

“I have my duty.”

“Get out. Now.” His tone was down into icy cold when he said it. “I don’t want him to taint his hands with blood of a teenager like you.”

“.....who are you?” Her gaze was sharp to the man in front of her. “What are you planning?”

“None of your business.”

“It is as my duty called for it.”

He didn’t see the knife she stabbed at him, but she didn’t expect this man came prepared. Her knife stabbed bullet-proof vest, throwing her off guard and made her first mistake.

He knocked her out by single shot of powerful sedative.

~0~0~0~

When she woke up, she was in a small room.

She slowly got up, but her hand was handcuffed and limited her movement.

“You’re awake.” The same man from the party came in with a tray of food. “Sorry that I had to drug you to get you out from that house.”

“....what have you done?” She asked with dangerous tone.

“I…. We killed Allen.” He said it calmly. “We had to before he could make transactions of huge amount of drugs that would be shipped across America by tomorrow, which is today.”

“....we?”

“He’s not alone for that.” Another man came in. “Evan here is part of my group, so my group took the job and killed him.”

“.... And it’s my duty to keep him alive.”

“Which you failed.” The other man said it coldly. “Those people won’t show any mercy on you, even though it’s your first failure.”

“How do you-?!”

“I was one of them, you brat.” He showed the mark on his neck which was cut multiple times, the same mark on her left shoulder. “Those people didn’t care at all about you or anyone, no matter how good you are, but I think you already know it.”

Yes, she knew it deep down. She once saw one of her fellow child assassins that was trained at the same time with her was executed for failing on important mission. He was as good as she was and to die like that…

She rathered die at her own hands.

“Clyde, you’re too harsh right now.” The Chinese man, Evan she thought, stopped him.

“She faced harsher reality than this.” Clyde said it, dismissing the other male. “It’s better to face reality than later.”

“And beside, she’s stuck with us.”

“What?!” She shouted in question.

“You have nowhere else to go, brat.” He said it harshly. “I bet you don’t even remember your own name, you have better survivability with us than out there alone.”

“Evan, she’s an omega like you. She will be more comfortable with you before introducing to others.” With that, Clyde left the room.

“You’re an….omega? But you don’t smell like one.” She questioned it.

“That’s because Clyde scent-marked me thoroughly before I met you.” Evan put down the tray of food in front of her. “He’s my mate afterall.”

“....ah.” She finally scented him when he’s close. She could pick up omegan scent underneath heavily-concentrated alpha scent of Clyde. “He’s possessive one.”

“Ye-Yeah….” Evan’s face got red since she knew fully well only possessive ones would scent-marked their mates this strong.

“....if he’s that possessive, I can’t put my finger on why he even let you go into party full of drunken alphas.”

“He will snipe anyone who dares enough to hit on me.” Evan said it almost proudly. “Don’t worry, it’s tranquilizer bullets and no one expect Allen was killed.”

“....who are you guys?” She finally asked.

“Us? We’re just a bunch of mercenaries...expect me though.” Evan answered quietly on the last part. “Unlike others, I didn’t belong to their world yet until I met Clyde.”

Evan began to tell her his history with Clyde and other members as she ate the food. It appeared Evan was like Allen, a billionaire kid with almost entitled attitude. They first met during one of the parties Evan’s friend held, but soon he realized Clyde was there to kidnap him. Clyde was lone mercenary and he took up a job to destroy his father, so he took his only son for the information.

What they didn’t know was his father was involved with dangerous organization and the person who hired Clyde wanted to destroy that organization. Instead of trying to save his son, Evan’s father wanted him to die because he thought Evan already let out information about him and the organization. Evan knew his father never liked him because he’s an omega and blamed his mother for giving him an omega son. He already had another son, an alpha son, with a mistress in secret and he didn’t need him anymore.

Clyde took him under his wings after they discovered that and Evan helped him and other mercenaries, who claimed to be Clyde’s friends, to destroy his father and the organization for good. Clyde and his friends trained him into an assassin during and after that as he threw away his family to be Clyde’s family. Now, they had their friends as members of their little mercenary squad.

“And that’s how I get involved in their world.” Evan finished his story. “I killed my father and I regret nothing. He already destroyed many families, including his own. However, I gained the new one with Clyde and others, you’re also part of the family as well.”

“....Why you accepted me that easily?” She asked carefully, afraid to hear the answer.

“Because you need a family, just like the rest of us.” Evan gently patted her head. “You’re still a young lil birdie.”

“Birdie.... Guess I will give you the new name. How’s Evelyn?”

That question caught her off guard. “...what?”

“Your new name, Clyde also took upon new name after he got out from those same people. I’m thinking you should have one instead of your so-called code name.”

Evan’s innocent suggestion caught her off guard, in fact everything had been so new to her. To have someone treat her normally.

“Evelyn huh….”

“It means beautiful bird. I think it suits you.”

“...okay.”

“Then, your name is Evelyn from now on.” Evan patted her head even more. “Let’s be a family from today on, Evelyn.”

~0~0~0~

It took her a week to get used to having someone else call her Evelyn, or Eve for short, and not with her code name “Seraph”.

On her third day, Evan took her outside the bedroom and met everyone aside Evan and Clyde. The Second-in-Command and also Clyde’s partner-in-crime was Leon with his female alpha mate, Daniella or Dani for short. Another hitter/stealth members were Brian and his female beta mate, Marian. The computer wizard/hacker was Rhea with her lover Harry, both were betas. The weapon dealer was Orion, a middle-aged beta man who was also a former Marine, and Garrett who was his assistant and a young alpha few years older than Eve.

Dani, Marian and Rhea were happy to have another female member and welcomed her warmly. Everyone had their own stories of why they became mercenaries; Clyde, Brian and Leon were both friends and rivals under the same mentor before Clyde decided to break off, Dani’s family were killed in a freak car accident and finally had the justice after the driver bailed out with large sum of money with Leon’s help, Marian was prositute who was framed from murder she never commited and managed to deliver the justice with Brian’s help, Rhea was a scientist who was betrayed by the company she’s working together with Harry and became hacker to expose the company’s true intentions, Orion lost his Marine position to cover his best friend and took Garrett who was his best friend’s son as his own.

By the third week, Eve was still learning how to be “normal girl” with Dani, Marian and Rhea helped her along the way. Orion loved to see another marksman beside him and Clyde and coached her with Garrett, to which Orion was more excellent marksman than those coaches she had in the facility. Evan helped her to embrace her omega side and gave her much better suppressants that wouldn’t poison her body constantly.

“Got used to this place yet?” Clyde asked her one day in one of the groups’ homebases. “It’s almost a month you’re here.”

“Well.... I don’t know….” She’s honest about it because everything was so contradictory to what she had been living ever since she’s sold out.

“You lived in isolated place for like...5 years I think, and I bet that the only outside world influences you had are during the time you have missions.” He lazily said it as he threw a knife to target practice in the living room.

“I can’t blame you, I was saved by Leon and Brian when I was found half-death by our mentor. Now, I’m helping you not to make the same mistake as I did.” She knew right away what he meant by that, his past when breaking apart with Leon and Brian.

She remembered Evan told her it was his biggest mistake that he realized too late, but at least Leon and Brian accepted him back as their “brother” like the old days.

“...I will try my best then.”

~0~0~0~

Before she realized it, it was already six months she stayed with the mercenary family.

“Here’s your passport.” Rhea cheerfully handed Eve a fake passport. “The next job is outside the country, so we all need passport.”

“...Evelyn Lynch?” Eve raised her eyebrow in question.

“On papers, you’re Clyde and Evan’s omega daughter, don’t you know that?” Rhea asked back in confusion. “I thought Leon and Brian already told you about it?”

Eve quickly glared at Leon and Brian who were playing Tekken 6 in the playroom. They surely felt her angry glare because she heard their sudden-chill yelps from there.

“....I think I forget to mention that during the briefing.”

“.......It’s a big job, so we miss a few details….”

A pair of knives passed their heads just an inch away, almost hit the playstation which was on the floor.

“O-Oi! That’s dangerous!”

“No weapons outside the weapon room, Eve!”

“You guys’s faults for not noticing it!” Eve shouted back. “And it’s also you guys’s fault for not telling me this at all!”

“You guys are truly a bunch of lively kids.” Marian commented from her and Brian’s room, reading make-up magazine. “Hey, Eve! This make-up style will suit you!”

“For the thousand times, Marian, I don’t like wearing mascara, foundation and lipstick.” Eve sighed, knowing how much Marian loved to put make-up on her.

“Aw, c’mon, Evie, you’re a girl, you should wear make-up once in a while.” Marian moaned in disagreement as Eve walked past her to get a snack. “At least the light one!”

“I never see Rhea wearing one, so why do I have to?” Eve just counter-attacked casually.

“I’m still wearing lip gloss here!” Rhea shouted back from the computer room.

“Same here, I also touch up from time to time.” Dani called her out from weapon room. “As a woman, your face is your weapon, especially yours. Everyone will be dying to have you in their arms.”

“Girls, don’t corrupt the little one!” Evan playfully called them out from the workstation.

“Alright, mother hen!” The 3 of them said it loudly before chuckling.

“Ha ha, very funny. No roasted beef for tonight’s dinner.” Evan was threaten them with food since only Evan could cook well than three of them.

“Evan!” All three of them loudly protested.

“No roasted beef for you three, and I have triple portion.” Clyde said it playfully while watching TV in the living room.

“Nope, their portions will go to Eve.” Evan said it with a final tone. “Eve seriously need to put more meat and muscle on your skinny body, I know perfectly those people only give minimal daily nutrition.”

“Also, no sugary snack for more than 3 days.” Evan took the Rice Krispies Treats and Oreos from Eve’s hand. “I already leave fruits and veggies for snacks in the fridge, so snack those instead.”

“Man, I thought I could sneak around.” Eve pouted, knowing Evan caught her snacking those for 3 days, he put that limit after finding out the reason of why Eve didn’t eat “real meals” on her first week.

Everyone poisoned her with their favorite snacks from the first day and thus Eve only ate those for the first week before Evan found out about it. Evan thought she didn’t eat the meals he gave to her aside from the breakfast he gave to her on the first day because she still didn’t trust him and everyone, but turned out that Eve was just snacking all the time instead of eating real meals. It made him set the limit of the days she could snack those things.

“You forget that kitchen is my territory, young lady.” Evan slightly scolded her. “Of course I would know those things were missing right away and I’m already threaten everyone not to give you their own secret stash unless they want to eat instant noodles forever.”

Everyone got the chill running on their backs from his threat and no one talked him down because he’s an omega. This was the reason Eve felt comfortable with them, no one looked down at her or talked her down just because she’s an omega, even though in the facility both alphas and omegas were equally deadly along with the betas. However, the alphas and betas still looked down to the omegas while they could also cut their throats faster than they expected.

Few alphas and betas already tasted their own blood through her knife.

~0~0~0~

“So… I’m your daughter in this heist?” Eve asked while helping Evan preparing dinner.

“Yeah.” Evan answered as he chopped the vegetables. “And for any future heists and missions we have, also even after we decide to stop doing all of these.”

It stopped Eve from stirring the soup.

“No matter how good the payment we all got from these jobs, all of us want to settle down somewhere quiet.” Evan said without breaking his concentration from chopping the vegetables. “I can feel Clyde wants to have children with me through our bonds for the longest time, but we can’t as our jobs are too dangerous.”

“So, I’m your stand-in daughter.”

“No!” Evan slammed the knife on the cutting board. “We want to legally adopted you one day when everything is over. I know Rhea can make any legal documents through her hacking, but we want to make sure nothing will separate us.”

“....Can I stay with you guys?”

“Of course you can, dear.” Evan smiled softly at her. “You’re a family, my daughter, everyone’s little sister, Garrett’s rival, and perhaps my future children’s big sister.”

“I promise nothing will separate us, Eve.”

And that’s a promise none of them could keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and support~
> 
> You can drop by at my [tumblr](https://reina1505.tumblr.com/) too :D I will see you guys there~ And can just ask something in there if you have some questions too~ :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, people~ I was actually planning to update this chapter before Christmas Day, but I forgot about it XD So, I plan to update 2 chapters at once to end the 2019 and new start for 2020.
> 
> The next chapter will be posted on January 1st, according to my timezone.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter~
> 
> Edited note: I.....seriously made some mistakes for this fic, like I forget there's posh vocabulary as well. I may have to edit some chapters now...

Cold water splashed to her face, breaking her memories with her mercenary family.

Her eyes were opening to the white room that’s now her prison. Her arms were bonded and chained up to the point her bonded feet didn’t touch the floor. Her clothes had reduced to minimal thin clothing that’s already tainted by her blood.

Today was possible her twenty-ish day of her imprisonment and torture. She almost lost her count one day after too many abuses.

She and everyone made a minor mistake on their biggest mission ever, but that mistake had resulted in them catching the attention of these people after they discovered she was still alive. Within less than a week, they caught them before they could escape to another country. She remembered letting go of Evan’s hand to face the assassins they sent to kill them and his shouts through the fallen debris after she threw the hand grenades to block the escape path.

It's a strange thing happened when they took her back to one of the branch facilities instead of killing her on the spot after she killed most of the assassins they sent.

Waterboarding, tasers, chain whip and White Room were her companions after she was captured.

They once put her in Cold Room for 3 days, but White Room was more effective, together with Waterboarding, tasers and chain whip. They still treated her wounds from all the whips, but it didn’t stop them from doing it after awhile.

Eve didn’t know why she’s being kept alive as any of these tortures weren’t so “deadly” compared to other torture methods she learnt. The tortures were to break her spirit, her mentality.

Her humanity that she regained through her mercenary family after a year and half being together.

Each day she fought them off tooth and nail, fought them off through the tortures. She even managed to kill one of them who’s brave enough to let his guard down, even though it resulted in her not getting any food and water for 3 days. She didn’t regret it.

She wanted to come back home.

“Back to the living world, Seraph?” One of them questioned her, which she only gave him a death glare.

“Why keep me alive? There’s no information I will give to you.” Eve said it with bitter and deathly tone. “And I’m no longer Seraph.”

“You are and still Seraph. Do you think you can wash away the blood on your hands?” He challenged her. “As for why you’re still alive after being a traitor, let’s just say something about you that keep the Boss forbid us to kill you.”

Something about her? What the fuck he’s talking about?

In the midst of confusion and torturement with tasers, someone entered the room. Even in pain, she still noticed the newcomer was a doctor based on what he’s wearing. The torture stopped as soon as they noticed him approaching.

“It’s time for the meeting, everyone.” The doctor said formally.

“Seriously, it’s not even 10 am yet.” One of them groaned.

“It is and it’s time to change the bandages.” Eve finally noticed this doctor wasn’t the usual doctor who came to treat her wounds.

“Fine. Have fun with her.” They packed up the tasers and counted if there was anything missing since it costed them one of their men and an eye on another guy.

“Yes, I will be.”

3 silent gunshots rang through the room. The doctor had shot them straight to their heads with a gun hidden on his sleeve.

Another 2 silent gunshots and she fell to the floor with a loud thud.

“Be still, girl.” The doctor-no, the assassin or spy said to her quietly. “In 3 minutes, this whole facility will be raided and everyone involved will be killed on the spot. Everyone expect you. You will be free after this.”

Yeah, free like escaped from a crocodile's mouth and entered a tiger's mouth.

~0~0~0~

The next time she woke up, she was in the hospital room, seemingly in secret building as she didn’t hear any sounds at all aside the low beeping beside her. Eve refused to be captured again, ripping the IV off from her arm and pick-pocketing the lock of her handcuffs and she’s free. Limpingly, she tried to stand up and get out from whatever the new hell she was going into, but she wouldn’t stand here without a fight.

“I recommend you to rest up, girl.” A familiar posh accent voice called her out when she was just a few feet away from the room. It was the guy from before.

“And letting myself get captured once again? No thank you and fuck off.” With that, she took off running, only to be grabbed by that man.

“You’re weak. You better rest up.” The man gently carried her back. “I know you don’t trust me, but the Big Boss wants to meet you as soon as you recover.”

“Your boss?”

“That would be me.” Another man came into the picture. An english gentleman, she assumed based on his suit and accent, and a bit chubby too. His face was stern and unreadable, but undoubtedly there was genius aspect there.

“I’m Mycroft Holmes. Welcome to England, Miss Evelyn Lynch.”

~0~0~0~

The beta man, Toby Harrison, stayed at her side as she’s recovering to prevent her doing anything stupid that could hurt herself or anyone.

The Boss, Mycroft Holmes, was a genius like she assumed at first. He’s fluent in several languages when Eve badmouthed him in Russian, Spanish and French several times. Most of the time, he looked unamused with her silence antics and how she so carefully talked to Toby when he wasn’t around.

Eve didn’t know what they wanted, or why she was even here.

“It seems you have recovered enough.” Toby admitted it after he dodged the plastic knife that Eve used to stab his eye and submitted her on the bed. “Your strength and accuracy are getting better everyday.”

“Gonna admit, the food here is very bland. However, I need every chance I have to regain my strength.” Eve playfully said it and dropped the knife. Despite his old age and his secondary gender, Toby was strong and effective.

“Since you have recovered, it’s time to meet the Big Boss.”

It had been 2 weeks since she was “taken” in. Her constant companion was Toby and sometimes Anthea, Mycroft’s assistant who always had her nose stuck at her phone.

The next day, Toby came in with women suit for her to wear and it was tailored and felt expensive. After the nurse helped her to dress with the new clothes, Toby already waited for her with his classic Mercedes Benz at the empty lobby.

A drive away, Eve found herself standing in an empty warehouse with single chair in the middle and Mycroft was already waiting for her as she smelled his strong alpha scent only there and not around the warehouse. Toby stood behind her, being on full guard unlike their time together in the hospital.

“Why me?” Eve asked away, ignoring the tense silence. “Those people kept me alive and you wanted me so much to the point you raided that facility. So, I ask you again, why me?”

“That’s a good question, Miss Lynch. We alone also don’t know that.” Mycroft answered calmly. “The reason why you’re standing here now is Mr. Harrison here. He sees something about you.”

“Code Name: Seraph. Top of the class in formal education and assassination. Numbers of successful missions: 9, failure: 1.” Toby stated formally and showed her the documents about her as Seraph. “The stats here doesn’t do justice, it’s clear you’re more experienced.”

“I was taught by various people after I escaped.” Eve answered sharply. “Gonna admit they’re much more experienced than the mentors in the main facility.”

“The Lynch Family.” Mycroft calmly mentioned it. “The notorious mercenary group from US. And you’re one of them.”

“If you want to know about them, my mouth is sealed.” Eve turned to Mycroft bitterly. “I can betray myself, I can betray you both, I can betray those people, but I will never betray them.”

“Of course. Your loyalty to them amuses me, to loyal to someone that quick is....understandable for someone as young as you, especially an omega.” Mycroft spoke that as he was cursing, which made her want to puke.

“Just like your loyalty to British Government… Wait, You _are_ The British Government.” Eve said it sarcastically.

“Interesting, what makes you think that?” Mycroft asked again, this time he’s interested.

“Do you think I’m a stupid omega? Don’t you know many assassins are secretly prefered to be an omega than an alpha? We’re underestimated, making us not being suspected as we’re the weak one.” Eve said with a smirk.

“To have a private semi-isolated room, private doctor, private nurse, private medical equipment and a couple of experienced military men as bodyguards inside a semi-abandoned building near London require either high position, a large sum of money or both. I know we’re in London as the doctor and nurse speak with cockney accent, only Toby speaks with posh accent, and they talk about some places accessible from London when they thought I was asleep from the medication. It’s clear you’re a man of very high position when you have a private spy working under you and military men doing your job, so I’m assumed you’re powerful but not powerful as Prime Minister for sure. So, you, in a way, _are_ the British Government.”

“Good observation and deduction, Miss Lynch.” Mycroft slightly praised her. “And I never underestimate you after I know how well you took down some of the bodyguards on the other day. Just like you said, they underestimate you for being an omega.”

“No offense, I got that everyday.” Eve coldly said it. “But it doesn’t explain why I’m here and why you want me.”

“Simple answer. I need another spy.” Mycroft casually answered it. “Mr. Harrison here will retire sooner or later and I need someone to take up his position, so I make a proposal for him; Find and train a suitable person to take on his position, regardless of their secondary gender, and he picked you.”

“So, I’m just a disposable replacement for him.” Eve said it sharply and glared at both Toby and Mycroft.

“You’re not, I prefer to have just one student to train. Having 2 students will create unnecessary rivalry when it comes to this field.” Toby added it. “And I watched you for a month before the raid plan conducted.”

“A month…. How long I have been there?” Eve carefully asked, but still maintained her emotion.

“Around 3 months. You spent majority of time unconscious when they conducted…inhumane abuse.” Toby said it so carefully, afraid it would trigger something in her.

“And I also want to give you a way out from those people, a real life outside that Academy. Your skills and experiences, along with your past, won’t allow you to live in civil life, so this is the only way for you to live.”

“Either die somewhere isolated or work under someone with powerful position.” Eve remarked bitterly. “It’s no different with those people.”

“At least you have the benefit of freedom. You’re free to do anything you want to as long as you’re under surveillance.” Mycroft offered. “Including talking to your family.”

“...what have you done to them?” Eve asked with full of hatred, Toby was ready to submit her because he noticed the slight change of her stand.

“Nothing.” Mycroft answered casually. “After their biggest job ever, they suddenly retire and settle down somewhere in Canada, but we managed to obtain information about them. I will allow you to contact them regularly, but I can’t allow you to visit them yet as you’re too dangerous to yourself and others as for right now. We also put them under surveillance for your and their safety.”

“How did you find them?”

“Their hacker got sloppy when she tried to hack SIS.” Mycroft said sternly. “They’re so desperate to find you.”

“So, you’re using them as a bargaining chip?” Eve was so bitter with that fact.

“Not a bad bargaining chip, knowing your loyalty to them run deep.” Mycroft swung his umbrella casually.

“So, what’s your answer?”

~0~0~0~

Of course she said yes.

Eve knew well enough that loyalty and attachment were a weakness, but Toby reassured her that it wasn’t because that’s what humans were. Toby also reassured her that working under Mycroft wasn’t a bad thing that could happen to her and hoped she could warm up soon with that idea.

Mycroft looked quite pleased to her answer and processed to make legal documents for her to be a legal citizen sooner or later. He informed her that she couldn’t use her name now and told her to change it, but she fought it off and managed to settle with Evelyn L. Walker as that name was her first gift of humanity. He also wanted to provide her with legal high school diploma, so he told Toby that he would get a home tutor to teach Eve about it, of course the tutor was trusted for these.

Eve would also be staying with Toby for a while to adjust her life into more civil life, also adjusting into civil life and Toby’s teaching. His house was big and homey with a big yard, which Toby implied to be their training ground soon, with 4 dogs as his loyal companions. His house was a bit isolated and far from the neighbours, but still within a good distance of bus station and many places.

Toby gave her own bedroom, still empty as Toby wanted her to decorate it to her liking. Eve found it a bit overwhelming, but Toby was ensuring her that she could take small steps to be independent woman. Little by little, Eve started to fill up her bedroom and decorate it.

“Eve, here.” Toby handed her a paper with phone number and address to her one day after 3 weeks of settling down and intense training from Toby.

“What’s this?” Eve asked confusedly.

“Phone number and address to your family.” Toby answered, smiling when Eve realized it. “Go call them, they deserve to know you’re alive and well.”

Eve didn’t need to ask permission, she ran to her room and grabbed her new smartphone Toby got for her to dial the number. She was so happy about it that she forgot she was 8 hours ahead of them right now.

“Please answer…” Eve whispered quietly as she counted the second.

_“....Hello? This is Evan speaking….”_

Eve swallowed a cry as soon as she heard Evan’s voice for the first time after more than 2 months apart.

_“Hello? Is this a prank call? If that is, it’s not funny to call at 2 am.”_

“....Evan, it’s me.” She finally said it, holding on her emotions.

_“...Eve? Eve, is that you?”_ She could hear Evan finally up and alert.

“Yes, it’s me…” Eve suddenly felt a warm wet feeling on her face, she didn’t realize she’s crying. She had forgotten that she could cry.

_“Oh my god! Eve, you’re alive!”_ Evan’s voice was choking, must be from crying. _“Eve, where are you now? We will come and get you back home as soon as possible!”_

“I can’t….not right now….” Eve said it while sweeping the tears away. “I made a deal...with someone. My past with those people won’t allow me to live normally with you guys.”

_“Clyde is the same with you and he’s fine right now.”_

“It’s different with Clyde and I don’t know why… They kept me alive for more than a month, Evan. They captured me instead of killed me on the spot and threw my body somewhere unknown. There must be a reason for it and I don’t want to risk it.”

_“...does your employer know you’re calling us?”_

“He knows, it’s one of the benefits for working under him.” Eve said it as she calmed down. “He allows regular contacts with you guys, but he can’t allow me to travel abroad just yet due to the same reason I can’t live normally with you guys.”

_“Is he treating you well?”_

“He is. He makes legal documents for me to be a citizen of his country. He will provide a high school diploma when I prove myself I’m doing good with education.”

_“Where are you right now actually? And who’s your employer?!”_

“I’m in London, Evan. And I think I can’t tell you about him, but I’m sure he’s someone in high position on British Government.”

_“London… I should’ve known it right away, you speak so posh right now. And jesus, you’re 8 hours ahead from here!”_

“My mentor speaks with posh accent, so yeah… I pick it up.” Eve slightly joked about it. “And I’m sorry to call so early, I’m just so happy that I can call you.”

_“Doesn’t matter, I’m happy to be awake in ungodly hour if it’s from you. And it seems I wake everyone up now, guess we will be having early morning party.”_

“Hahaha…” Eve laughed and looked at the clock. “Evan, I will have to go now. My education tutor will be here soon. Give my love and kisses to everyone.”

_“Good luck, Eve, and I hope we can finally meet again soon. Goodbye.”_

“Goodbye and love you.”

A click and the call ended, but not for her tears.

~0~0~0~

It was a year full of uneasiness and tension.

On her first week living with Toby as his “niece”, she had several panic and anxiety attacks during the day and night terrors at night that kept her awake until dawn. Toby told her it was signs of PTSD and Mycroft already prepared a good and trusted psychiatrist when the signs were starting to show up because he had been anticipated it. He diagnosed her having intermediate case of PTSD that’s more focused on panic and anxiety, alongside paranoia disorder which also played a major role in the panic and anxiety that made it more severe. Now aside from her training, tutor lessons and “civil lessons”, Eve had to go to the psychiatrist once a week, take medications, and had psy eval every month for reports.

Eve shared it to Evan and others through emails, which they assured her it was a normal thing as they also went one right now, but on different schedules. It made her lighter a bit knowing it was a “normal” thing that could happen to people like her. Toby also assured her that he was also having trouble adjusting back to civil life after his military service.

“That past won’t kill you, but it will haunt you forever if you let it. Try to make peace with them and you will feel lighter in the future. I won’t be easy, but I’m here for you, with your Lynch family as well.”

Mrs. Johnson, her home tutor, was patient and kind old woman who was a retired school teacher and specialized in children and young adults who had psychological troubles. She was the main reason she could adjust to civil life quicker thanks to her advice and pointers. She later found out she was Toby’s best friend when he was in high school and he even helped her getting into her husband before he went to the military. When Toby asked her to help his “niece” to adjust into normal life after “isolated and abusive household”, she came to help him after Mycroft approved her.

She was the mother figure she could never asked. She taught her not only formal education, but manners that’s rivaled to manners for high class. She even taught her how to cook many delicious food and desserts that’s so different from the bland and tasteless food Toby got for take-outs, Toby didn’t mind it at all as Eve made some of the best homemade desserts based on Mrs. Johnson’s family recipes.

“What are you cooking?” Toby asked her one day before dinner.

“Curry.” Eve just answered her bluntly as she stirred.

“It’s different from usual.” Toby mentioned it as he peeked. “This spice smell… Japanese curry?”

“Yeah, I found the recipe yesterday and I want to try it.” Eve just bluntly said it, couldn’t dare to say it’s her childhood food and the recipe was something she managed to recalled after she erased everything about herself and her past.

“Smells delicious, Marie will love to taste it tomorrow.”

“Yeah…”

~0~0~0~

By the age of 18, Eve managed to prove herself that she’s smart enough to have a high school diploma through Mycroft’s way.

Mrs. Johnson was surprised enough to see Eve had good education despite living in “isolated and abusive household”, although she admitted there was some lessons that needed her to “broaden her mind” because she never knew any of them at all. However, it’s overcome later through many lessons and good teaching from Mrs. Johnson.

“The Academy… They also taught me formal education as part of the...training.” Eve admitted it one day over dinner to Toby. “Although Marie’s lessons are more...open-minded compared to the lessons in the Academy.”

“It’s understandable.” Toby said it calmly. “Knowledge is power, information is liberating. No wonder why they control what you learn from that place just to keep you and everyone else who got into that place are both well educated and blind at the same time.”

“I don’t know if that's a good thing or not.” Eve idly wondered.

“For your case, it’s a good thing since you don’t have to spend more time learning everything from zero. Within the next few days, Mycroft will mail your high school diploma and you can apply for higher education as you can still make it on fall term.”

“About that one, I’m thinking of few courses that I’m interested in.” Eve mentioned it with a hint of happiness. “I’m thinking about taking mechanical engineering and perhaps computer science.”

“Oh? Worthy field to pursue.” Toby sounded amazed by it. “May I ask you why those fields?”

“To be honest, I’m more interested in weapon engineering since I spent more time dealing with weaponry in the past with my family, but it’s postgraduate course in mechanical engineering.” Eve answered casually. “As for computer science, the hacker of the family coached me many times of how to hack and make programs and I’m so interested in it too.”

“...have you hack into anything?” Toby asked back mildly worried as he remembered about Eve once ordered computer parts to build her own PC.

“Don’t worry, I’m a small-timer white hat hacker.” Eve assured Toby casually. “I found some holes in many security networks from various companies and sent the reports under an alias to the companies. In return, they paid a reasonable sum for the reports, sent it to your bank account though since I don’t have my own. Don’t worry, I don’t overcharge them.”

“No wonder why my saving is getting larger than before when I checked it.” Toby sighed tiredly. “Does the Big Boss know about it?”

“He actually sent me a mail yesterday, telling me I’m doing a great job finding those holes and he will approve me if I want to pursue this field into higher education.” Eve casually said it as it was nothing.

“I should’ve watched you more closely from the beginning.” Toby still sighed tiredly. “Thank lord that Big Boss doesn’t mind it at all.”

“He sounds like he’s used to that kind of thing.”

“Knowing the Big Boss’s younger brother, I think he is.”

“Mycroft has a younger sibling?” Eve asked curiously as she never really asked such thing.

“Yes, I only met him a few times before, but he’s even worse than Big Boss.” Toby told her as he took the last dinner bread. “He’s a genius like Big Boss, but he’s more destructive. He called himself a ‘consultant detective’ and the only one in the world. It’s so hard to keep a close eye at him and good thing Big Boss never put me into that position again.”

“He sounds interesting.”

“He is until he opens his mouth.”

~0~0~0~

Toby took her for a ride somewhere, saying he wanted to get her something for her 18th birthday.

To her surprise, he took her to a training school with a man waiting for them at the front gate.

“Toby!” The man called out, which Toby acknowledged him.

“Frank! Good to see you.” Toby and Frank shook hands with a big smile on their face.

“So, is this your niece?” The man, Frank, addressed Evelyn who suddenly got shy with new people.

“Yes, we’re here to see your fine assistance dogs. I’ve heard that you have a couple of dogs for psychiatric needs.”

“Yes, I have some. I’m sure you have the papers ready for it.”

“Yes, of course.” Toby handed him the papers he carried from home. “For PTSD and mainly on panic and anxiety attacks, if you don’t mind it. Also, it will be marvelous if they can also detect seizures as well.”

“I think I got some dogs that’s perfect for that case.” Frank sounded so proud with it as he checked the papers. “Oh, it’s for your niece.”

“Yes, she had a rather...rough childhood and recovering quite nicely now. Her psychiatrist had given the green light to require an assistance dog.”

“I see, good for her to get help from you.” Frank gave her a warm look before he guided them to meet the dogs he had been selected.

There were several labradors, golden retrievers and german shepherds. They were all well-behaved and well-mannered. Toby encouraged her to interact with each dog to see if one of them was well-paired with her. She had no problems with dogs since Toby had 4 dogs and one of them was wolf-dog. That wolf-dog loved her so much, so she began to like a dog with similar look like him.

Fortunately, one of the german shepherds seemed to like her around. She put her head on her lap and refused to get up until she had her fill of petting.

“Isn't she lovely? Her name is Jeanne. She's just 1 and half years old and finished her training, with the detecting seizures training just finished last month.” Frank said it slowly as he sat dog beside Eve.

“She’s...nice.” Eve sounded a bit hesitated as she petted the dog.

“Do you like her?”

“....yes.”

“Guess you found the match. Toby will be thrilled to have her in his house.”

“Yes, and you deserve it, just like me before.” Toby petted Jeanne’s head softly. “I had an assistance dog for the same case like you after I finished my military service. He’s my emotional line for more than 7 years before he passed away due to old age. Kind of the reason why I have 4 dogs now.”

“…Thank you for everything, Toby. She’s beautiful.” Eve hugged the dog gently, who was happy for the gesture.

“I will look after her when you’re in heat clinic next week.” Toby offered.

“Thank you, Toby.”

Eve had decided to have heat every once a year to detox the heat suppressants. Maria had warned her about the side-effects of taking heat suppressants so early and for a long time, so she suggested to her to have heat once a year to detox the dangerous chemicals from those illegal heat suppressants and restarted her natural hormones. It would also help her to have less side-effects of the heat suppressants which Toby got her every month.

Maria also assured her that heats were normal thing for omegas and it wasn’t a shameful thing, she also told her about how lucky she was to be living in this era as she could choose to take heat suppressants while she couldn’t when she was at her age. Heat suppressants were so dangerous in her era, so her parents forbid her to taking it. Nowadays, the heat suppressants were so much safer with much handled side-effects, along with better birth controls.

It would be her first heat for the longest time after her first heat when she was 13 years old.

Let’s just say she was so grateful she only had gone through it once a year after a week of intense and painful heat in the heat clinic.

Marie assured her again it’s normal to have heat for between 3 to 7 days, but she had an assumption that her having the heat for a week was the result of taking suppressants for a long time. She assured her that it would get shorter as her body became more natural.

By the time of fall coming, Eve became a college student doing her double degree in Mechanical Engineering and Computing at Imperial College with Jeanne the assistance dog at her side all the time. It was tough to do double degrees, but Eve didn’t regret it at all. Probably her only regret was that she still had to rely on Toby on the intuition fees and still had to live in Toby’s house instead of getting her own flat even after becoming a college student since she barely had time to do a part-time job.

Even so, Toby didn’t mind it as he had no family to worry about and he had enough money to support both of them and 5 dogs, plus he hadn’t done yet training Eve. However, Eve assumed that Toby was just lonely in his big house, so he wanted a company beside his 4 dogs. Even so, Eve still didn’t like using Toby’s money all the time and repaid him little by little through her little white hat hacking.

The world got even more interesting when she encountered the infamous consultant detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and support~
> 
> You can drop by at my [tumblr](https://reina1505.tumblr.com/) too :D I will see you guys there~ And can just ask something in there if you have some questions too~ :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!!! \o/ I wish you a good year ahead~
> 
> As I promised, second chapter for this week~ Enjoy! (Sorry if sounds a bit rushed)

It’s all started from the news about the series of suicides.

The first one was back in October and no one didn’t pay any attention, thinking it was just the usual news about someone committing suicide. Even so, there was a press release from the wife about how her husband’s suicide was unexpected and unexplainable.

Then, there was another suicide by 18-year-old boy on the next month, his face and news were on the front page and it’s hard to miss it.

The third news came 2 months later from the boy’s suicide. This time, it got the public’s attention as the one who committed suicide was a local MP who was last seen in the party celebrating her nomination to the Ministry of Transport. Scotland Yard investigated it and declared that the MP’s suicide was similar to the past suicide cases as they all somehow took the same poison to commit suicide.

It felt like...

“Serial killing…” Eve said her thoughts out loud, making Toby raise his eyebrow in confusion as he sipped his morning coffee.

“That’s quite a huge leap of assumption.” Toby calmly said it when he noticed Eve turned uncomfortable after saying it. “What makes you think like that?”

“It’s nothing…” Eve shyly told him. “Just my instinct...as a former assassin. Poison is the easiest tool to master, even by an amateur, and the most effective. I know my poisons as...well, poisons are my main tool to assassinate, it’s easier to manipulate the target to drink or eat something I gave to them using my omega scent.”

“Do you think your ‘serial killer’ is a female omega?”

“I’m not sure, can be a male omega. They are more rare than female omegas afterall and many people find male omegas are more exotic than female omegas.”

“The boy is a beta, his nose won’t pick up omega scent as strong as alphas.”

“Manipulation can be done in many ways, I feel like I want to do research about this case.”

“No.” Toby said it firmly, making Eve stop eating midway. “You're a college student, your job is to study and train under my teaching. Let’s not forget you’re taking double major as well. Leave this case to the police as it’s their job to investigate it.”

“...understood.”

But fate said the other way.

~0~0~0~

It was pure instinct that she needed to check out this place.

She was invited by other classmates to do an assignment together and she agreed to it as Toby said that’s how college student lived. She could trust these classmates as they were the ones who approached her when her aura gave off feeling to leave her alone on the very first day, let’s not mention how others wanted to copy her assignments or tried to use her for exams since she’s always within the top 5 in every exams despite her doing double major.

Unlike these group of friends, they were misfits and so they stuck together, and they seemed to “adopt” her into their group too on their first group assignment.

They all came to their flat and did the assignment together until some of them had to leave for their part-time job. Since she almost finished the assignment and helped others when they didn’t know, she decided to say her goodbye as she remembered her training later.

As soon as she passed a block, something told her to check. She sensed no humans lurking in the darkness, so she took the risk. Her instinct led her to a huge dumpster and noticed a very obvious bright pink. She dug and pulled out a small suitcase, it’s strange as the suitcase was heavy and still in good condition. If it wanted to be thrown out, it should’ve been light.

“I need that suitcase please.” A sudden voice from behind startled her, dropping the suitcase and quickly pull out a taser gun Toby gave to her in a flash. Jeanne was on guard and ready for her attack command on her mark.

The man in front of her was a tall, svelte man with pale skin, dark curly hair and silver blue eyes. From the scent, he’s an alpha, but there was some similarities of scents with Mycroft for some reasons. His hands were up, common gesture for someone with a gun, real or not, pointing at them. However, he appeared calm and collected.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Eve demanded, not letting the taser gun down.

“My name is Sherlock Holmes and I’m consultant detective.” Sherlock stated calmly with his gaze locked on the suitcase. “And that suitcase you found is the evidence of a serial murder.”

“Serial murder?” Eve questioned him. “There’s the fourth victim who took the poison now?”

“Oh, even a freshman college student from Imperial College who studies Computing and having a service dog is smarter than the police.” Sherlock mocked, but to the police not her.

“How did you…”

“Your clothes and backpack are in good condition and within the recent fashion for young adults and backpack, but there’s hints of dogs hairs on them, so you must be a college student living with quite a rich family member who loves dogs. Your textbooks are about Computing and used in Imperial College and based on the title, it’s for the first year. Your dog has the vest indicated for service dog and it’s written on the vest for what the dog for, but it seemed your family member had history with police and trained the dog with guard and attack command. From that, your family member must be someone from police or military based on your stance and the possession of taser gun. They also taught you how to shoot based on your stance and bruises on your fingers, indicating you have been fired handgun with live ammos.”

“...how did you get all of that?”

“I see and I deduct. Most people are only looking and not thinking.”

“That’s……..flippin’ brilliant!” Eve said it excitedly, which was rare occasion.

“Err…. Thank you.” Sherlock thanked her, too stunned and too surprised. “You’re not….”

“Not what?”

“Angry.”

“Flippin’ heck, Mr. Holmes.” Eve almost purred in excitement. “If I’m angry, I already shoot this taser gun.”

“That’s correct.” Sherlock said it and lowered his hands as Eve lowered her taser gun and she quietly told Jeanne to stand down. “Seems you’ve been underestimated a lot for being smart when you’re an omega.”

“Oh, did my scent blocker wearing off?” Eve asked and sniffed.

“Your purr, it reacted my alpha instinct just a bit. Only alphas and omegas can react when one purrs.” Sherlock stated it like a matter-of-fact and picked up the suitcase.

“Oh, that reminds me. There’s fourth victim now?” Eve asked, trying to keep down the excitement.

“Yes, and this time the serial killer made a mistake! He forgot the victim had a suitcase with obvious color for a man!” Sherlock responded excitedly as he carried away the suitcase. “A chance to catch this serial killer! This is the best thing happened now!”

Eve couldn’t help, but smiled to see how Sherlock looked so excited like a child got his present. Called it crazy, but Eve didn’t feel Sherlock was that weird to be excited with this serial murders.

“Aren’t you coming?” Sherlock suddenly asked her, looking stern at her. “It could be dangerous, especially for young female omega like you.”

With that, Sherlock left her alone in her thoughts. Eve admitted she missed this excitement, she never felt this alive before. It’s a different excitement and fire from those times, she hated to admit it.

She missed this kind of excitement.

“....Let’s catch up with him, Jeanne.”

And she sent a text to Toby that she would be late and missed the training due to “important assignment”.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” Eve said to him as she followed him into a cab. “I’m Evelyn Walker. Nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes.”

“Likewise, Ms. Walker.”

“And you get it half-right about my college course.” That gained Sherlock’s attention at her.

“You’re right that I’m studying Computing in Imperial College….and also together with engineering.”

“Double degree...a flippin’ double degree student…”

“It’s rare to be one afterall, even for either an alpha, beta or omega.” Eve tried to reassure Sherlock.

“I deduced your bruises as your constant training with guns. It seems you also know your way with real weapons and live ammunition.” Sherlock stopped to see Eve’s face. “I’m right about it.”

“Yes, I’m helping my uncle with his guns, from firing to disassemble and reassemble it all.” Eve told it calmly. “That’s why I am interested in engineering as well.”

“It’s rare to see omega studying in alpha-dominated field.”

“It’s also rare to see eccentric alpha chasing after elusive killer from a case that the police deemed differently.”

“You’re so different than other omegas.” Sherlock said it fondly. “Like my new flatmate.”

“Flatmate?”

“You will meet him sooner or later.”

~0~0~0~

Baker Street 221B.

That’s where Sherlock took her to investigate the suitcase. Sherlock gave her the rundown of what happened to the fourth victim, including his deduction and Dr. John Watson’s, his new flatmate, analysis on the body. The landlady, Mrs. Hudson, was a kind old lady and was surprised to see Sherlock bring another new person after bringing Dr. Watson as his flatmate today. Even so, she welcomed her warmly and offered to bring tea and cookies to upstairs for her and Sherlock, also for Dr. Watson which Sherlock told Mrs. Hudson that he would come back soon as he texted.

“Let’s see what you can see and find from the suitcase.” Sherlock told her as he went to the coach to lay down, still texting for some odd reasons.

“Well… Let me get a glove or something.” Eve quietly said it and looked around to find if Sherlock had glove or something in his “organized mess”.

It took Eve around 1 hour to check out the contents of the suitcase carefully and neatly. Sherlock was doing her own research somewhere around the room, which Eve could hear from his steps and deep breathing. Sherlock was an eccentric alpha man who looked like he was high on drugs. She assumed solving cases was an addiction for him, which was so weird.

“...no smartphone.”

“No smartphone?” Sherlock suddenly stopped on his track.

“Yeah, I checked everything and everywhere.” Eve stated confusedly. “If she’s a serial adulterer, her smartphone must be her important item, it’s the only way she can contact them. There’s no way she would leave it somewhere far from her.”

“Leave it…” Sherlock trailed off and realized. “That’s it!”

And he’s back to his own research, more ectatic than before and took the suitcase.

Since she had checked the contents thoroughly and Sherlock took over the suitcase by himself, she just sat down on the couch and drank the tea and ate the cookies that Mrs. Hudson brought about half an hour ago. It seemed she prepared as she managed to keep the tea hot enough to be enjoyed.

About an hour and a half later, Eve heard someone was coming and picked up his scent. He had characteristic of omega scent, variation of sweet honey scent, along with gun powder, dried blood, disinfectation, and somewhat sterilized environment with a hint of sand scent. Eve somewhat cursed Sherlock in her mind for not telling his flatmate was military doctor.

Dr. John Watson walked into the room, looking somewhat displeased, but stunned to see Eve sitting at the couch and drinking tea.

“Oh, you must be Mr. Holmes’s flatmate, Dr. John Watson.” Eve said it while John was still stunned. “I’m Evelyn Walker and I got dragged into this serial killer case.”

“....Sherlock!” John yelled at Sherlock angrily. “Why the heck you dragged this young lady into here?!”

“I don’t drag her, she chose to get herself involved.” Sherlock just calmly said it.

“And what are you doing?” John asked him tiredly.

“I don’t know, he has been like that for like...more than an hour.” Eve told him off. “I’m too concerned for how many nicotine patches he has though.”

John frowned at what she’s saying and got close to Sherlock to notice the 3 nicotine patches at his arm. Eve saw himself putting those by himself and completely ignored her warning to use too much nicotine patches at once.

“Three patches??” John asked Sherlock, kind of worriedly.

“It’s three patch problem.” And he just ignored him and Eve, laying still on the couch and looking up to the ceiling.

John and Eve looked at each other before John looked at Jeanne who was sitting nicely and also giving the same look. Eve just quickly passed the biscuits to John, who took it gratefully, and passed dog biscuits to Jeanne. Eve could feel that John wanted to shout at Sherlock for dragging a young omega woman, clearly with some sort of disability, into whatever case he was thinking.

“Well...You asked me to come. I’m assuming it’s important.” John finally said something after few seconds in silence.

“Oh, yes, of course. Can I borrow your phone?” Sherlock finally responded by asking...casually. Eve could see John was a little fuming by that.

“...my phone!”

“Don’t want to use mine - always a chance the number will be recognised. It’s on the website.” Sherlock said it, still casually like it’s a normal thing to say in this situation.

“You can borrow Evelyn’s.”

“She will get texts at anytime from her guardian, can’t risk him to be worried over the omega he’s taking care of.” Sherlock said it and held his hand imperiously out for the phone.

“I was on the other side of London!!”

“There’s no hurry.”

Eve just slightly chuckled of how John was fuming at Sherlock while Sherlock acted like it’s what normal people did “normally”. Seeing there’s no point, John just handed over his phone at Sherlock’s hand when she got a text.

_ You’re in SH’s flat. -MH _

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. From the “Big Boss” himself as well.

_ If you mean SH is that weird detective, then I am. -EW _

_ Good. Keep an eye on SH and JW. -MH _

_ Are you watching this room right now? -EW _

_ I’m always watching. -MH _

_ Sounds like an obsessive stalker. -EW _

_ I will pretend I don’t read that. -MH _

_ Whatever, Boss. I know you’re just worried about SH mostly. -EW _

_ What makes you think that? -MH _

_ Have a feeling about you and SH. Same level of geniuses, but I think SH is smarter than you. -EW _

_ I’m the smart one and I want you to remember that. Is that clear? -MH _

_ Crystal clear, Big Boss. -EW _

~0~0~0~

Eve spent her entire evening watching over Sherlock Holmes and John Watson like a babysitter watching over 1 hyper-active kid and 1 calm kid.

Sherlock took both Eve and John into a nice Italian restaurant that’s on the address that he made John to send it to the murderer. It was just 5 minutes walk from their flat and it was Sherlock’s trap to find out the murderer by himself after refusing to call police. It appeared he was a regular here since the waiter recognized him on the spot.

It turned out that Sherlock helped the owner, Angelo, to clear his name from murder charge, though Sherlock admitted he cleared it  _ a bit _ because Angelo was house-breaking on completely different side of London when it happened. Even so, he was grateful about it and claimed that everything was on the house for Sherlock and “his dates”.

“I’m not his date!” Both John and Evelyn said it at the same time, but Angelo just chuckled and went to get candle for “romantic atmosphere”.

Just like Mycroft, Sherlock had his own spies for his cases, only they’re more well-blended into “normal” background since they were just normal people and poor people that lived on the streets. Eve admitted Sherlock’s spies were more “useful” than Mycroft’s spies, but each had their own pros and cons. Mycroft’s spies were only “useful” for people within powerful positions while Sherlock’s spies were more “useful” for the people and criminals on the streets.

The only difference was Sherlock broke the laws while Mycroft “played” the laws.

“Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?” Eve was in deep thought when Sherlock got excited to see something they had been waiting for.

A cab had stopped on the street.

The next minute she realized, she had been running through the streets with John, following Sherlock who was hot on trails. They were so dangerously close to cars, motorcycles and pedestrians. Eve already lost count how many times she and John almost got hit by cars as they chased after Sherlock like he was high on adrenaline until they finally caught that cab.

Only to find they got the wrong man.

Eve was mentally grateful that she had quite a stamina which she got from training by both the Academy and Toby. She ran away again with John and Sherlock, only this time it was to avoid getting arrested by the police as that guy reported them.

She wanted to punch Sherlock for making her run all around following him, but she was too tired to even care and just called the cab after she took a quick break in their flat.

“Where have you been?” Toby asked through the living room, watching his favorite TV show.

“Anywhere…” Eve answered him tiredly, dropping her Polish accent and into more American accent. “And I already have dinner. Gonna jump to my bed and sleep.”

“Watching over Sherlock Holmes is tiring job afterall.” Toby responded with know-it-all tone, making her stopped at her track to upstairs.

“....Did Big Boss report to you?”

“Half-right, as I’m watching the security cameras between commercials as well.” Toby responded as he showed the texts and camera feed without breaking his attention on TV.

“And besides, you’re quite a bad liar when you try to lie through texts.”

“Next time, I will just call you to lie.”

“Anyway…” Eve was trying to change the topic. “Why Big Boss that worried about Sherlock Holmes?”

“They’re brothers, although the age gap is quite large.” Toby answered idly.

“They’re....so different.” Eve carefully responded to it. “Big Boss is so collected and emotionless while Mr. Holmes…. He’s the ‘Ten thousand thundering typhoons’ in real life.”

“Where did you get that reference?” Toby seemed to surprise for her to say that.

“Found a whole series of a very old comics that I found in the attic.” Eve calmly told him. “All of them are in good conditions and it looks very different from the normal comics I’ve seen, like Marvel or DC comic.”

“It’s from Belgium if I still remember, they have different styles in drawing.” Toby finally looked away from the TV since it’s commercials, his eyes looked so fond as he told her. “It’s a great comic series, take care of those.”

“I will.” Eve fondly said it, having a guess of why Toby looked so fond of those. “Good night, Toby.”

“Yes, get some rest. You still have classes tomorrow.” Toby said it with slightly scolded tone. “And perhaps you will have another thundering typhoon tomorrow as well.”

Well, he’s not wrong about that.

“But, you know…” Toby suddenly added it, making Eve stopped her track and peeked to living room to see Toby. “I really hope you and Young Master Sherlock never meet.”

“....why?” Eve asked carefully.

“You’re a student, with double degree. Your job is studying, not chasing after criminal with Young Master Sherlock.” Toby said it more firmly, making Eve more guilty.

“But considering this will be one of your future jobs after you take up my position, you can think of this as your trial mission. Prepared yourself because Young Master Sherlock won’t make it easy for you and for anybody.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and support~
> 
> You can drop by at my [tumblr](https://reina1505.tumblr.com/) too :D I will see you guys there~ And can just ask something in there if you have some questions too~ :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This......is a monstrous chapter....... I'm so apologized it takes so long to make it as I kinda have to rewatch the whole Sherlock BBC and read the original scripts for this fic alone. Oh, did I mention that a friend also wanted me to put another 2 CROSSOVERS into this fic alone?! It made me almost rewriting the whole plots from the beginning to the end and it's not fun =___= I almost lost my mind in the rewriting the plot.
> 
> Oh well, enough with my rant. Hope you guys enjoy this monstrous chapter.
> 
> Edit: I forget to add another tag, and yes I put Kingsman Secret Service in here as well, but it may take awhile to get there like 007 movie plots. So, stick around~

Eve surely didn’t expect this in the morning.

She was quite sleepy after finishing the assignments and slept for a few hours. When she finally went down for breakfast, she blinked a couple times to finally aware the Big Boss was in the dining room, drinking coffee and reading The Times, while Toby was cooking breakfast like always. The dogs were all well-behaved around Toby like always, waiting for their breakfast as well.

“Ah, you’re finally awake, Miss Walker.” Mycroft just casually called her before sipping his morning coffee.

“I have a feeling that it doesn’t have anything to do with Toby or wanting to have breakfast.” Eve almost rudely said it before sitting down at the opposite.

“You’re half-right, Miss Walker.” Mycroft said it, ignoring her rude remark, and setting down the newspaper. “I have a business with you and also, I want to enjoy Mr. Harrison’s coffee. He makes the best morning coffee.”

“Business with me? This early?” Eve asked back, completely unexpected.

“Yes. A job for you.” Mycroft slid off a file in front of her. “Consider this as your first job as my spy.”

Eve eyed on the file before she carefully opened the file to check on this “first job”.

“.... You’re ordering me to spy on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.” She stated, not asked.

“Yes. After what happened last night, it'd be better to upgrade the surveillance on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.” Mycroft stated seriously.

“What happened last night, after I left their flat?”

“Sherlock confronted the killer and the killer died. End of the story.” He stated casually, but Eve felt it was more than that.

“I also heard from Mr. Harrison that your deduction was quite close to Sherlock’s deduction. You both are right about the case was serial killing, not serial suicide.” Mycroft still stated it casually. “You both can be good partners in crime solving, together with Dr. John Watson.”

“Is that one of the reasons why you’re putting me into this job?”

“This is a job you can’t refuse.” Mycroft stated as he sipped his coffee. “Just like Dr. John Watson, you too miss war, or specifically the thrill in it. You wouldn’t be following Sherlock Holmes at night if you didn’t want to.”

“.... Alright, as long as my study won’t be bothered so much.”

“Great. I will be expecting daily reports on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.” With that, Mycroft finished his coffee and stood up.

“I’d love to stay for breakfast, but I have a schedule to catch on. And I wish you good luck on my brother and the doctor, Miss Walker.”

~0~0~0~

“You did what?!”

Eve raised her voice as soon as Watson told her the whole story after she left that night as he wrote his block. She finally paid a visit after a few days since they last met that night. Sherlock just shrugged it off while Eve looked at them in disbelief.

“The taxi driver is the serial killer…” Eve thought out loud. “Someone who hunts in the crowd… It’s a perfect cover and hunting ground, no one couldn’t find the link as it’s randomized.”

“But what’s the motive…”

“Moriarty…”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing. That’s no one.” Sherlock shrugged it off again and just grabbed his violin, but she felt it’s more than just “a name”. She made a mental note to search up that name.

“But who shot the killer when Sherlock confronted him?” Eve noticed the little flinch from Watson, which made her suspicious. He might be a military doctor, but it didn’t mean he didn’t know how to shoot.

“That doesn’t matter, Evelyn. In the end, that serial killer died.” Sherlock added as he plucked the violin's strings.

“And done.” Watson quietly announced it before posted the case on his blog.

“Study in Pink?!” Sherlock commented in disbelief on the blog's title.

“It’s suitable.”

“I agree.” Eve playfully agreed with the name before munching the cookie. “We’re studying the trails of Lady in Pink afterall.”

“Study in Pink!” Sherlock still commented in great disbelief.

“It’s Dr. Watson’s blog, Mr. Holmes. He decides what title he’s putting on for the case.” Eve laughed a bit about it.

“Sherlock.”

“Sorry?”

“Mr. Holmes sounds too...tasteless. Call me Sherlock.”

“...Alright then, Sherlock.”

“You can also drop the formality too, Evelyn.” Watson suddenly added.

“If you said so too, John.”

Eve quietly smiled at her two new friends, even though it’s her job to spy on them. She just hoped they would forgive her for this.

~0~0~0~

It became her new routine.

Ever since she befriended Sherlock and John, she often found herself in their flat in between classes or after class, most of the time she was just listening to the cases while she’s idly doing her assignments. Another reason was her spying job on them too. John started looking for a job while Sherlock was busy with cases that he could solve within a day or two. Each day there was a new storm stirring around inside their flat until she felt she could take a break from those uneven storms.

She decided to pay a visit to the famous tea shop world-wide, she remembered that they almost ran out of Toby’s favorite loose tea leaves and she always wanted to have her own tea to enjoy alone as Toby once encouraged her one time when he took her shopping on their first year staying with Toby. It also reminded her to get Toby’s favorite coffee beans and wine too, but it would be too much to bring home, so she would buy the coffee beans after this.

“1 bag of Darjeeling loose tea leaves for breakfast…. 1 box of Sleep Superblends for me at night…. I think I will try the Rose Lemonade this time…” Eve was trailed off as she’s picking up the teas and trying to remember what she should get when she came across the green tea selection.

She didn’t notice the scent of it after coming here for a few times, but now she finally scented it and almost missed something that’s important deep inside. The smell was close to it, but it wasn’t at the same time. Even so, she’s feeling something familiar with the smell, like she knew that smell somewhere long ago. She felt she had forgotten something important, something she shouldn’t have forgotten. However, she couldn’t find what it was.

While her mind was looking for what it was, she didn’t sense someone was closing in and shoved her purposely. Good thing her balance was good enough that she didn’t fall into the rack of green teas, but it’s enough to make her jumpy and almost reached the butterfly knife she hid expertly.

“Oh, didn’t see you there, retard girl. You’re just a minger to be noticed.”

Eve tsked quietly to see this toxic woman behind her. Lindsay Wilson. She’s dubbed to be the prettiest woman from middle school to college, according to the rumors Eve heard among her college classmates that went to the same middle/high school with her. Apparently, she won many beauty contests during those times as well and now working as a model alongside her study in Biological Sciences.

However, that modelling job offer was actually for Eve when someone from a famous modelling agency was scouting around the campus, spotted her and offered her the job on the spot. She never wanted to do modelling and refused the offer, even though he’s pushing her the offer. She’s threatened to call the police for harassing her, so he left her with his card if she changed her mind.

Apparently, Lindsay witnessed it all on the sideway and it hurt her ego so much because she had to pull all of her connections she made from the time as beauty contest’s winners just to get her being noticed by the same agency. Even though Eve eventually turned down the offer via phone call as politely as she still felt a bit angry with him being so pushy, Lindsay still felt so insulted and started to bully her whenever the chance she could get, her friends also joined her in bullying as well.

Let’s not also mentioned that her so-called “prettiest woman” position was also threatened by her very existence after her rich alpha boyfriend told his group about how “beautifully exotic” Eve was and the group agreed with it in which she overheard it. Eve knew many men, both alphas and betas but mostly alphas, were hitting on her after the freshmen orientation, but they were all turned off after Eve sharply (and smartly) humiliated them. 

“Well, perhaps you’re just too blind to see through those sunglasses. It’s so dark that it almost looks like the glasses for blind people to use.”

Eve could see her face getting red through her heavy make-up.

“Shut it, you wanker!” Lindsay shoved her a bit harder this time, kicking her fight instinct and her panic state was starting to raise up. Toby taught her how to control it, so she wouldn’t randomly attack people who’s not practically harmful.

“Could you just...walk away? You’re embarrassing yourself.” Eve was trying to defuse the situation as she could feel many eyes were focusing on them and she felt so suffocated. Jeanne was alerted as she’s detecting her rising panic.

“Or what? Call your counselor on me again? I almost lost my job because of your report on me!” She kept shoving her again and again. Jeanne was growling and barking at Lindsay, warning her to back off.

“What’s up with this stupid mutt!” Lindsay tried to kick Jeanne, which was a stupid move.

“Leave her alone.” Eve’s voice was trembling, but not from fear. She’s holding back.

“Huh, what did you say, Scrubber?” Lindsay challenged her and shoved her again. “Your mental ability is lowering now? Speak up, you...”

Eve couldn’t hear what she said next, everything sounded so muzzled including Jeanne’s barking. Her eyes were now focused on the blood artery at her neck, thinking how it would be flowing like a river on her obnoxious flashy dress. She didn’t even think the consequences of what she wanted to do, the weight of the butterfly knife felt so comfortable on her hand.

All of the sudden, a warm hand grabbed the hand that’s holding the knife.

“Can you just piss off?!” A man warned her as he shoved her away from Eve. His warm hand alone managed to snap her back and grabbed his arm without noticing as she was seeking comfort from a kind stranger.

“Who the flip are you?!”

“None of your matter! Get out of here, you’re making a scene.” He stood upfront to cover her. 

“Shut up-!”

“Go now or I’m calling the police for harassing someone in public!”

Lindsay just huffed and puffed and walked away. The man gently took her hand that’s gripping his arm so tightly.

“You’re okay? I can feel your heartbeat faster.” He asked worriedly.

“I… I have a panic and anxiety attack….” Eve said it slowly.

“Shite, do you have your medication? Where do you keep it if you don’t mind I’m searching through your things.”

“I will be alright… I just need a few minutes to calm down.”

“Let’s go to a quieter area.”

The man took her to the nearby cafe after helping her paying for the stuff and then his. He ordered 2 cups of tea and some food, BLT sandwiches for himself and Club Sandwiches for herself. Good thing the tea came early and it calmed her down.

“What’s up with her? Just because she dates the most popular alpha in college, doesn’t mean she can do what she wants.” The man quietly complained as he sipped his own tea.

“.... Are we going to the same college?” Eve asked as she found it funny that he somehow knew about that drama.

“Ah yes, we are and you’re one of the popular omegas in the college. We never interacted before, but I heard the rumors.” The man just smiled at her.

“Ethan Williams, I’m in my third year of Medicine.”

“Evelyn Walker and I’m still in my first year.”

Their food finally came and they took some bites in silence before Ethan spoke up.

“You’re quite famous, don’t you know that?” Ethan mused. “You’re homeschooled and yet you manage to have double majors. Unlike other women, either beta or omega, you have the impression of unlikely omega that focus on career, I mean most cases of double major students are alphas and that alone is rare.”

“Say to yourself, a male omega in the medicine field.” Eve shot it playfully before taking another bite. “You’re wearing heavier scent blocker than me, so unless they’re close to you, they won’t scent it.”

“Guess nothing escape from your observation.” Ethan didn’t feel threatened by it.

“I will stop if you’re not comfortable.”

“Nah, I don’t mind it. Dad is a police inspector, so I’m immune to it.” Ethan joked about it. “Still remember how he caught on my lies so many times.”

“That explains a lot.” Then suddenly she got a text from Sherlock. Another new case.

“Duty calls. Guess Toby will have his tea later.” Eve quickly packed up as she knew how stingy Sherlock was when it’s about a case.

“I will have the rest as takeaway. I’m in a hurry all of a sudden, this guy will bother me for every minute before I respond.”

“Sounds like a troublesome guy.” Ethan laughed a bit about it. “Let’s exchange numbers, we can hang out sometimes.”

Eve hesitated for a bit, but eventually exchanged their numbers. Ethan was a pleasant company, proven how he treated her and got worried over total stranger that he just heard from rumors. Beside, Toby often encouraged her to hang out with other people with the same secondary gender to further understanding.

Now, she got another shit storm coming up.

~0~0~0~

John gave her the rundown of what happened.

Sherlock accepted a job from an old friend of his, someone who worked in a bank. Someone broke into an old office and drew graffiti there within a minute. One glance and Eve knew it wasn’t normal graffiti, but she thought Sherlock also suspected the same thing as well. They found out what that graffiti was for, a man named Eddie Van Coon and he was a tradesman that often travelled to China.

For her, that alone was a red flag, knowing from her past related to some missions there.

That man was found dead inside his apartment within a locked room and high place, that’s why Sherlock summoned her.

Quickly grabbed the plastic gloves and looked around the place among the police.

“You’re not authorized here. Who are you?” An unfamiliar voice called her out, looking extremely unhappy to see someone not a police officer around the crime scene.

“She’s with me, I summoned her.” Sherlock answered as he walked out from a room before realizing this man was new. “Ah, Sergeant... We haven’t met.”

“I know who you are. And I’d prefer it if you didn’t tamper with any of the evidence.” The man just said to him without much joy, which wasn’t rare knowing how many people Sherlock had pissed off.

“I phoned Lestrade. Is he on his way...?” Sherlock said that after putting a soggy black ball into the evidence bag and gave it to him.

“He’s busy. I’m in charge. And it’s not Sergeant. It’s Detective Inspector. Dimmock.”

A young alpha, still brand-new to his position and sought more recognition, Eve thought tiredly. She hated to interact with people like that as there were too many people like that in college. They were power-hungry to seek recognition to better things, be it just grades or position like this inspector.

“We’re obviously looking at a suicide.” Dimmock said it in confidence. Eve followed them after she took some glances on the body.

“It does seem the only explanation of the facts.” John seemed to agree.

“Wrong.” Sherlock cut off, disagreeing like usual. “It’s one possible explanation of some of the facts. You’ve got a solution that you like... but you’re just choosing to ignore anything you see that doesn’t comply with it.”

“Like?”

“The wound is on the right side of his head.”

“And?”

“Van Coon was left-handed.” Eve added it as she picked up the scissors on the desk.

“Left-handed?! What’s the proof for that?!” Dimmock snapped at her.

“Try to cut something with this.” Eve just calmly gave him the scissors, which he gave him a disbelief look. “What? Do you think I’m just a stupid omega who’s just casually assuming things? Guess your pride as an alpha is that fragile.” Eve challenged him.

Angrily, Dimmock grabbed a paper and tried to cut it with scissors, but for some odd reason, it was more difficult that he looked struggle doing it.

“Try to switch your hand.” Eve sarcastically suggested it, which Dimmock angrily took the suggestion and used the left-handed, which made it easier to cut it.

“Some items are made specifically for left-handed people, one of them is scissors.” Eve told him in a sarcastic tone. “I heard about it from a friend of mine, who’s a left-handed, which I borrowed his scissors one time. Also, if you pay attention, some items around the flat were pointed left, like that tea cup and pen near the landline. If you’re not being such a beastly, you may see it.”

Dimmock just snorted for being outsmarted by an omega, making Sherlock smirked and John sighed.

“You’re just as bad as Sherlock, Evelyn.” John sighed tiredly.

“His fault for doing such a terrible job.” Eve muttered under her breath.

“But the gun…” Dimmock still didn’t give up.

“He was waiting for the killer. He’d been threatened.” Sherlock quickly added it, covering Eve from the information she didn’t know.

“What?” It was his turn to be confused.

“Today at the bank. A sort of a warning.” John told him.

“He fired when his attacker came in.” Sherlock added.

“And the bullet...? ”

“Went out the window.” Sherlock stated it like a matter of fact.

“Oh, come on! What are the chances of that?” Dimmock accused him in disbelief.

“Wait for the pathologist’s report. The bullet in his brain wasn’t fired from his gun, I guarantee.”

“But if his door was locked from the inside... how did the killer get in?”

“Good. You’re finally asking the right questions.” Sherlock just walked away after he said that. Eve knew why he did that, even Sherlock hadn’t got the answer of how this killer could get in here. The doors locked without any signs of break-in or being pickpocketed, the flat was many levels high.

Unless Spider-man was real and somehow became a killer in this universe, they could be their killer.

~0~0~0~

It seems there’s something about everyday villains, just like this banker that hired Sherlock to investigate the graffiti code. He almost didn’t care that one of his men was killed, or committed suicide from the so-called “police report”, and demanded Sherlock to just finish the graffiti case. Eve couldn’t blame it, even though she’s just as frustrated as Sherlock, that the police would cover it up and just stamped “suicide” to avoid massive paperwork.

“A banker who often travelled to China died after being threatened by whatever this graffiti meant….” Ethan wondered as he had lunch with Eve who told him half of the story of what happened yesterday.

“Pretty much what happened…” Eve was kind of in deep thought as she looked at the copy version of the graffiti codes.

“You look like you have seen those symbols.” Ethan said it, not asking, as he read her face.

“Yes, I’ve seen these symbols before, but I couldn’t place where I saw it in the first place.” Eve sounds conflicted. “Though this minus symbol kinda looked like number one in Japanese.”

“Also in Mandarin too.” Ethan pointed it out.

“But just that, the rest of symbols don’t make sense aside from that one.” Eve leaned back to her chair tiredly.

“Well, check this out.” Ethan read the news from Timesonline from his phone. “Journalist shot dead in his apartment last night, but this flat’s door was locked and the windows were bolted from the inside.”

Eve jumped out from her seat after Ethan read it out. “Just like the banker”

“The intruder who can walk through the walls… This is an interesting line.”

“......not when you’re trained to climb the walls in fast motion, like people from circus or….” Eve left it hanging, hating to say the next word.

“Or an assassin.” Ethan sounded he understood, which made her a bit suspicious.

“Yes, or an assassin…” Eve sounded hesitant when she said it. “This seemingly innocent case has turned into a dangerous case.”

“Should I tell my father about this?” Ethan offered. “It’s too dangerous, both for you and your detective friend.”

“Better not, the one who’s handling this case is Dum- I mean Dimmock.” Ethan snorted at the nickname Eve was given to Dimmock and almost let it out.

Later that afternoon, she hung out in Sherlock and John’s flat like usual, just came back from her class and currently reading one of her textbooks with Jeanne resting her head on her lap while Sherlock was reading a book about ancient runes. She found it weird not to see John around with Sherlock when she noticed his scent from downstairs with a hint of spicy, a sight of anger, and John walked in furiously, making Jeanne snapped back at him. He was fuming at Sherlock for whatever happened when she wasn’t around.

“You’ve been a while.” Sherlock said without looking at him.

“Yeah, well you know how it is… Custody Sergeants don’t like to be hurried, do they? Just formalities. Finger prints; a charge sheet. And I’ll have to be in Magistrate's Court on Tuesday…” John said it fumingly.

“What?” Sherlock asked with no interest.

“Me, Sherlock. In court on Tuesday. They’re giving me an ASBO. Criminal damage.”

“Okay, what the fuck happened?” Eve angrily slapped her textbook close as she couldn’t stand the heavy spiciness in the air from John’s scent.

“Nothing.” “No, something happened!”

Eve sighed to see them arguing like an old married couple.

“Sherlock and his little pal left me with the ‘evidence’ of his ‘street art’! They ARRESTED me and will be in court on Tuesday!”

If Eve was allowed, she wanted to throw this textbook at Sherlock’s head for this stupidity, but it would be harming the very man she had to look after. Let’s not mention Sherlock was her boss’s younger brother. She felt she would need aspirin later for this headache.

“You can hug Jeanne if you want, John...to calm yourself.” Eve offered tiredly for all of this, she knew omegas like warm companions like pets.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” John took a deep breath to calm down.

“This symbol - I still can’t place it. I want you to go to the police station with Evelyn. Ask about the journalist. All his personal effects will be impounded. Get hold of a diary - or something that will tell us his movements…” Sherlock said, like what they talked before never happened, and stopped John for taking his coat off. He also took Eve’s coat and gave it to her before pushing John out the flat with Eve following from behind.

“I’ll go and see Van Coon’s PA... If we can retrace their steps - somewhere they’re going to coincide.” Sherlock ran off the streets after that, leaving John and Eve at the side of the road.

As they hailed a cab, she saw a woman dressed in black at the corner of her eyes. However, when she tried to fight her, she’s gone.

She had a bad feeling about this woman.

~0~0~0~

Dimmock let them have the journalist’s diary, while questioning why both of them stuck with him when he’s such an arrogant sob. Eve wanted to say it’s her job from the Big Boss himself as one of his spies, but she had a feeling that it's now more than just a “job” now. She felt no judgemental coming from Sherlock and John, whatever her fast achievement in college or her mental disability.

The diary was orderly, truly a diary from a journalist. The time and date of his journeys from London and China and back to London were written neatly. Together with John, they retraced his tracks and led to a part of Chinatown and they bumped into Sherlock who also found Van Coon’s traces.

“Van Coon brought a package here the day he died. Whatever was hidden inside that suitcase. I’ve managed to piece together his movements using scraps of information…” Sherlock said it excitedly.

“Sherlock….” John tried to get his attention.

“... credit card bills and receipts. He flew back from China and came here.”

“Sherlock….” Now it’s Eve’s turn to try to get his attention.

“Somewhere in this street. Somewhere close. I don’t know where.”

“That shop over there.” Both John and Eve said it at the same time and pointed out the same shop, making Sherlock stop his ranting.

“How can you tell?”

“Lukis’ diary. He was here. He wrote down the address.”

“Oh.”

It was a small victory, they never caught Sherlock off guard in something he’s so good at that he made his own job. They gave each other a small pleased smile before following Sherlock going across the street to the address that’s written in the diary.

Entering the shop, it’s a very typical chinese shop with many antique-looking items. The shopkeeper decided that John was an eager customer, which left Sherlock and Eve wandering around looking for any clue. She picked up an item and noticed what’s written underneath it.

“Sherlock…” She called him out quietly, which got him and John came to her. “This symbol… It’s the same.”

“I see it.”

“It’s exactly the same as the cipher…”

Putting the item back, she rushed outside and saw all the market stalls all around the area. The symbols were used as hand-written price tags for each item. No wonder why she felt she saw those symbols before, a colleague was part-chinese and once took off the hand-written price tag he forgot to take it off.

Suddenly, she felt so stupid.

~0~0~0~

And so Sherlock was too.

They were sitting at a small restaurant near the window to see the market stalls clearly from the inside. John ordered sausage sandwiches while Eve just got some pork wontons because she didn’t feel so hungry. Both of them could scented Sherlock’s frustration from his scent alone, being outwitted with something that actually could be a simple thing if he “remembered” what kind of ancient numbering that people in Chinatown were using.

For a second, Eve could see the same woman dressed in black taking a picture, but she’s gone as she blinked. She wished it was nothing.

“Two men travel back from China. They both come straight to the Lucky Cat Emporium. What did they see?” John wondered.

“It’s not what they saw. It’s what they brought with them in those suitcases.” Sherlock answered, deep in his thought.

“And it’s not duty-free.” Eve followed up perfectly.

The waiter came back with their food and drink, which they waited for him to leave before continuing.

“Think about what Sebastian told us. About Van Coon; about how he kept afloat in the market.” Sherlock said, not asking.

“Lost five million…”

“Made it back a week later. This is how he made such easy money…”

“A smuggler.” Eve realized it.

It was an easy job for those 2 murdered men. A businessman who travelled frequently to Asia and back to London. A journalist who was writing about China. No one would be questioning why they were travelled so frequently and possibly took something to smuggle.

“So the Lucky Cat was their drop off.” Eve said her thoughts out loud.

“Why did they die? It doesn’t make sense... If they both turned up at the shop and delivered the goods... Why would someone threaten them and kill them after the event? After they’d finished the job?” John asked, wondering how it all happened.

“What if one of them was light-fingered?” Eve asked in wonder.

“One of them stole something - something from the hoard.” Sherlock realized excitedly.

“The killer doesn’t know which one of them took it! So he threatens them both.” John got excited as well.

“Then, it brings back to another question. Who’s the thief and what did he take that got him murdered?” Eve wondered again.

“Remind me: when was the last time it rained?” Sherlock asked, clearly didn’t listen to what she said which was usual.

“Why you asked?”

Again, he ignored her and walked outside. Both John and Eve just sighed and left the food that’s touched lightly and paid the bill before following Sherlock to a small flat. The front door had a telephone book still in the cover, but it was damp from the torn-off cover.

“That’s been on the step since Monday.” Sherlock said when he checked the telephone book. “Noone’s been in this flat for at least three days.”

Eve rang the doorbell of a tenant named Soo Lin Yao. No one was answering. She rang it again and still had no response. Sherlock darted down the side of the building, the side alley, in which John and Eve were scuttling after.

“They’re away on holiday. So what?”

“No one will leave their window open if they are, John.” Eve said as she looked up to the opened window. “Someone has entered the flat.”

The window of the flat was gaping wide. There was scaffolding at the back of the flats. Sherlock thought for a bit before jumping up on a dustbin, hauling himself up on the scaffolding. Eve followed him from behind, John almost grabbed her coat to stop her doing it, but Eve was more agile and reached the first floor flat and the opened window with Sherlock.

“Sherlock! Evelyn!” John hissed quietly as he watched both of them going inside through the gaping window and then took Jeanna’s leash.

A fastidiously clean little studio flat. Good taste, but no money to indulge it. There are feminine touches, dried flowers and embroidered cushions and stuff like that, all around the flat. A pleased feminine beta scent was dominant, the flat tenant’s scent, along with a bit of spicy and blood scent in some places, possibly the intruder’s scent who came in before them. The place was cold, no one has been here for days.

Sherlock wandered deep inside the flat while Eve looked out for the possible clue of what had happened to her or what the intruder had been looking for.

“You think maybe you both could let me in this time?” John shouted through the letterbox and rang the doorbell. It broke Eve’s concentration and walked to the front door to open the door for John.

“Oh for heaven’s sake. Can you not keep doing this, please?” John asked tiredly and handed the leash back, which Eve gave him a shy smile and avoided eye contact with John as she closed the door.

“We’re not the first.” Sherlock suddenly said it.

“Isn’t it obvious? The intruder got in and left.” Eve responded. “Whoever it is, the scent is lingering.”

Sherlock ignored her as he checked the carpet and mumbling “Size eleven. He was tall. But not heavy.”. Then picked up a photo and mumbled “Long, thin fingers. Our acrobat.”.

“The second scent is still too strong if the intruder entered yesterday or 2 days ago before us.”

“Which means…”

“Why didn’t he close it when he left?”

At that moment, all three of them realized at the same time. The intruder hadn’t left and was still here.

“Evelyn, your taser and stun gun please.” Sherlock toned it down as he looked around.

Eve quickly pulled out the taser and handed it to John, who immediately handled it like handling a gun. Eve threw the stun gun baton to Sherlock which he caught almost expertly. Eve had her knife ready as they looked around the flat, searching for the signs of the intruder.

Jeanne was sniffing around and then growled at a pile of forgotten laundry, making everyone tense. Eve quietly moved closer to the pile and yanked the clothes.

A man jumped at her, knocking the knife from her hand and got a hold of her as she stupidly dropped her guard off, taking her hostage when John and Sherlock turned at him. John hesitated to shoot while Sherlock’s alpha instinct was kicking in to protect.

Good thing she wasn’t a “normal omega”.

She slammed her head back in an attempt to break his nose, which he avoided. However, the elbow on his kidney that’s followed up was hurt so much, causing him to release his hold of her, and she bit the arm to force him to release her completely. Dodging down, John shot the taser after Eve wasn’t in the line of fire, but the intruder recovered and jumped aside to avoid the taser. Sherlock charged the man, knocking him off the ground, and tried to stun him with the stun gun baton, but he grabbed it and punched his face which made him fall back a bit and he took this chance to crawl to the fallen knife.

“Jeanne, guard!” Evelyn quickly commanded Jeanne and pointed the knife, which she growled at the intruder and attempted to bite off his hand when he got close. German Sheperd’s bite wasn’t the most welcomed afterall, so he stayed back.

Feeling being outnumbered, he avoided John’s tackle and climbed into the window, in which Eve tried to grab him but failed. She just watched from the window when the intruder climbed off and disappeared into the distance. She turned back and saw Sherlock picking up a fallen tiny black flower made of folded paper and it made her blood froze.

She knew that origami. Black Lotus.

~0~0~0~

_ “So…. You’re saying my brother and the doctor were investigating a case that’s involved this Black Lotus?” _

Eve phoned Mycroft on secure line as soon as possible. Sherlock and John were off to a museum where Soo Lin Yao was working, she excused herself because she would have a class in a few hours. It was obvious it was a half-truth because she needed to be in private to call the Big Boss.

“Unfortunately, it is.” She replied almost tiredly.

_ “What do you know about this Black Lotus?” _

“Professional international smugglers, smuggling expensive chinese antiques. I ran into them a couple of times when I was in….the Family. They have their own assassin groups to handle the dirty jobs, like murdering the traitor for taking something expensive.”

_ “So, the banker and the journalist were their couriers?” _

“I believe so. Whoever killed them is one of those assassins and they are nasty. They’re agile enough to be passed as circus acrobats.”

_ “I see, good job in advance. I will increase the surveillance until this case is over. I suggest you to pick up another weapon just in case.” _

“I understand, I’m thinking the same thing.”

_ “Be careful and watch your six. If three of you encounter the assassin, which means he knows about you and so the group. That would be all.” _

“Understood and goodbye, Boss.” With that, they ended the phone call before Eve entered the Tube to go home.

Toby already sensed something was in her mind as her scent was all over the place. Eve took off Jeanne’s vest and let her be a normal dog and go play with the rest of the dogs when Toby told her that tea was ready.

“... I need a gun, Toby.” Eve finally said it. Toby turned off the stove and looked straight at her eyes. “This case has turned into a more dangerous case than we expected. We just survived an attack from an assassin, but it’s because we outnumbered him. However, I don’t think we will be that lucky the next time we see him again.”

“Alright, we will go to the armoury after dinner. Maria made her famous roasted beef and I made mac & cheese to accompany it.”

After a pleasant and quiet dinner, Toby grabbed his scotch and 2 glasses before going to the armoury with Eve. She helped herself with the drink as Toby was deciding what gun he should give to her. She had developed quite a refined taste for alcohol drinks since Toby loved his drinks and wines, also proven that she could hold her liquor great enough that she apparently defeated the drinking champion on Toby’s favorite pub a few months ago.

“Ah, there it is.” Toby came back with 2 pairs of guns.

“My favorite of all time, Walther PPK. smaller version of the Walther PP with a shorter grip, barrel and frame, and reduced magazine capacity, made it more concealable than the original PP and hence better suited for undercover work.”

“Sweet.” Eve took the gun and handled it. The weight and size were perfect for what she’s doing right now.

“And Beretta Pico, just for emergency use of course. The thinnest .380 semi-auto handgun at only 18mm wide, making it the best in class for concealed carry.”

He wasn’t kidding about it, it was so tiny even with her female hands. The weight was even less than the Walther PPK, perfect to be concealed on the waistband. It also appeared to be easily disassembled for daily checking and cleaning. It’s also less complicated than the guns she normally disassembled and reassembled.

“By the way, these are yours for now on, so do take care of them.”

“Seriously?” Eve was surprised about it. Toby didn’t really let her have a gun knowing her mental condition and always under his surveillance whenever they were in practice zone or local shooting range.

“Well, of course. You’re responsible enough and already know how dangerous these are. These are for self-defense and protecting other people. I’m trusting you in these.” Toby looked into her eyes full of trust.

“I…. Thank you, Toby.” Eve tried to say it in a neutral tone, but her scent said otherwise.

“Right, I believe I have some IWB holster and shoulder holster that’s small enough for you. Those are also modified to carry a spare or two ammos as well.”

~0~0~0~

The next day, Eve managed to accompany Sherlock and John to the museum.

Sherlock and John were talking to one guy who appeared to know Soo Lin Yao while she wandered around, but not too far to not hear what they were talking. She stopped in front of a display of ancient teapots when she noticed SHerlock’s scent behind her.

“What’s wrong?” She asked worriedly.

“Tell me more about those tea pots, in that case.” Sherlock asked the guy instead.

“Those pots were her obsession. They need urgent work. If they dry out the clay can start to crumble. Apparently you have to keep making tea in them.” The guy answered it as he walked to them with John.

“Did you use it today?” Eve asked curiously.

“No. The tea ceremonies are only done by her. No one touches it ever since she resigned.”

“Last time we came here - only one of those pots was shining.” Sherlock pointed it out, the silence fell between them all before Sherlock and the other guy rushed to the security desk to check on the CCTVs with Eve and John following from behind.

“I mean, I know it’s antiquated. But everyone who comes in here has to enter their name. She hasn’t been back to the museum. Look at the log!” The guy said it in disbelief, but Sherlock didn’t buy it as he looked around the museum.

“Maybe she never went away.”

~0~0~0~

And Sherlock’s deduction was spot on.

Soo Lin Yao was hiding in the museum all this time, which Eve admitted it was a clever move. This whole museum was a maze of entrances and exits, from one gallery to another, one wire-mesh panel to another. For someone who worked long enough in this museum, Eve could bet Soo Lin Yao knew one or two places to hide in the secret, especially someone who had someone after her life.

“You saw the cipher? You know that he is coming for me.” She finally spoke up, her beta scent was tainted in fear.

“You’ve been clever. So far you’ve managed to avoid him.” Sherlock pointed it out while praising her cleverness, but her beta scent was still tainted in fear.

“I had to finish. To finish this work. But it is only a matter of time. I know he will find me.” She sounded so terrified.

“Who is he? You’ve met him before?” Sherlock asked, almost firmly.

“When I was a girl, living back in China. I recognise his...‘signature’.”

“The cipher?”

“Only he would do this. Zhi Zhu.”

“What?”

“It means ‘Spider’ in Chinese.” Eve answered John’s question, still focused on Soo Lin Yao’s story.

Soo Lin Yao unlaced her shoe, took off the sock and lifted her foot to show them something. There was a small circular tattoo - a black lotus flower inscribed in a circle.

“The mark of a Tong.” Eve said it as she knew it all the time, her tone was neutral, but Sherlock gave her a side glance.

“What is that?” John asked, quizzical.

“An ancient crime syndicate. Based in China.” Sherlock answered it for her.

“Every foot soldier bears the mark - every one who hauls for them.” Soo Lin Yao told them, still terrified but lessen by now.

“Hauls? You mean... you were a smuggler?” John asked in surprise.

“I was fifteen, living back in China, in the Yellow Dragon City. My parents were dead. I had no livelihood. No way to survive day to day, except to work for the bosses.” Soo Lin Yao continued her story.

“Who are they?”

“They are called the ‘Black Lotus’. They smuggle alcohol - cheap cigarettes. Noone thinks of searching the pockets of a school girl.” Soo Lin Yao’s scent turned into sadness. “By the time I was sixteen I was taking thousands of pounds worth of drugs across the border into Hong Kong. I’m not proud. I’m ashamed of how I lived. But I managed to get out. I managed to leave that life behind me. I came to England - studied; night school. They gave me a job here. Everything was good. A new life.”

“And then he caught up with you?”

“Yes. I hoped after five years... maybe they would have forgotten me. But they never really let you leave. A small community like ours - they are never very far away.” She admitted it sadly.

“Flash news, they won’t.” Eve suddenly spoke up. “People like them, they have a very long memory especially those who betrayed them or became a traitor. No matter what you did and how far you try to run and hide, they will always find you at the end of the world. Once you’re in, you never get out.”

“Spoke from experience, Evelyn?”

Eve froze, realizing what she just said. Sherlock’s eyes were sharp on her, as he’s currently deducting her and not Soo Lin Yao. John’s eyes were also worried and in a bit of shock. She took a deep breath before she said something or did some movements that she would regret later on.

“Kind of.” She managed to keep her tone neutral, but Sherlock looked like he got what he needed from her and turned his attention back to Soo Lin Yao.

“Well, did you meet him?”

“H-He came to my flat three days ago. He asked me to help him - to track down something that was stolen.” Soo Lin Yao stumbled her words in surprise.

“You’ve no idea what it was?” John’s turn to ask her.

“I refused to help.” She shook her head.

“So he sent you the cipher as a punishment.” Sherlock didn’t ask, he knew it which she nodded gravely.

“He is ruthless. A fanatic. He would strike down anyone. Even family - if they betrayed him.” Both her tone and her scent were full of fear and sadness, also a longing.

“You knew him well? When you were living back in China?”

“Oh yes. He is my brother.” She finally admitted it gravely. “Our parents died in the demonstrations. 1989. I was four years old. Liang was a little older. Two orphans. We had no choice. We could work for the Black Lotus or starve on the streets like beggars. My brother has become their puppet - in the power of the one they call Shan - Black Lotus General. I turned him away. He said I had betrayed him. Next day I came to work and the cipher was waiting.”

Sherlock reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out printouts - the ciphers from the bank, the library and the railway. She remembered from John’s story that Sherlock forgot about the technology of “taking pictures with phone” when he tried to make him “remember” from his memories. She got a chuckle from it and Sherlock quickly dismissed it before entering the museum this afternoon.

“Can you decipher this?” Sherlock asked, almost gently.

“They’re numbers.”

“Yes.”

“Here. The line. Drawn across the man’s eyes. This is a Chinese number ‘1’.” Soo Lin Yao took the printouts and pointed it out to Sherlock.

“And this? ‘15’?”

“Yes.”

“So. ‘1’ and ‘15’. What’s the code?”

“All the smugglers know it. It’s based upon a book…”

The lights went out.

Someone has thrown all the electrical switches. They looked around in horror - no one visible, just shadows. And then the sound began - A distant drum beat. A Chinese Dagu drum. Eve reached for the Beretta Pico at her waist in instinct and panic.

“He’s here. Zhi Zhu. He has found me.” Soo Lin Yao whispered in fear.

“John. Sherlock.” Eve called them out as she handed out the taser gun to John and stun gun baton to Sherlock before John pulled Soo Lin Yao down on to the floor and under the desk. Sherlock jumped to his feet and sprinted towards the sound as soon as he retrieved the stun gun baton.

“Sherlock, wait!” John hissed quietly.

“Go, I'll stay with her.” Eve whispered it to John firmly, which John nodded in silence and went after Sherlock into the darkness.

“You both better get out while still can.”

~0~0~0~

Eve and Soo Lin Yao had to crawl in silence and darkness through the gallery.

Eve let Jeanne comfort Soo Lin Yao to calm her down while they were crawling towards a nearby emergency exit. She was shaking and terrified even though Jeanne was trying her best to comfort the terrifying lady beside her, which was expected from a young woman who was too young to be thrusted into this side of the world, so she comforted her with her omega scent as best as she could.

Her Beretta Pico was out and ready to fire when someone came to them that wasn’t Sherlock or John.

They both flinched in surprise and fear when they heard the gunshots, but Eve found it weird as she didn't hear anything beside the gunshots. This museum had glass displays all over the place, it’s nearly impossible if none of the shots didn’t hit one of those displays.

Then, they suddenly felt a breeze from the window. Zhi Zhu was here.

“Get under the desk.” Eve hissed quietly at Soo Lin Yao before pushing her under the desk.

She stood up and hid behind one of the displays as she saw the shadow cashed from the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, she’s ready with her gun and shot as she came out from the hiding spot.

Zhi Zhu dodged the shot and rushed to her, but Eve was ready with her knife on her left hand. It caught him off guard when Eve slashed his arm with the knife and continued the shots. He hissed at it, but it didn’t stop him from fighting.

Glass displays were broken. They threw punches and kicks at each other, but both held their ground. He managed to knock down the Beretta somewhere at the museum, but he didn’t expect the second gun on her shoulder holster and the shot landed at his shoulder. She tried her best not to kill him as they needed him for confession.

“Pin yin. Liang. Liang. Qing!” Soo Lin Yao called him out, causing them to stop the fighting. She sounded terrified and breathless as she faced her brother once again.

“Evelyn!” Either Sherlock or John called her out. That’s when Zhi Zhu pointed his gun at Soo Lin Yao.

“No!” Eve jumped in to cover her, taking the shot instead of Soo Lin Yao. She could feel the familiar burning feeling somewhere around her stomach and the smell of blood.

“EVELYN!”

Zhi Zhu left Soo Lin Yao alive, but Eve was on the ground with a gun wound. She was crying near her, Jeanne was whining at her master’s state, John took Sherlock’s syal to apply pressure on the wound and Sherlock called for police and ambulance.

She lost consciousness when paramedic took her into the ambulance.

~0~0~0~

The shot missed the vitals, but Eve still lost a lot of blood and needed surgery.

The doctor told her that she would be in the hospital for a week before they could release her. She woke up the next afternoon at Ethan sitting beside her reading his medical textbook. As soon as she started to wake up, Ethan quietly left the room to inform the nearby nurse.

“I heard from your guardian… Toby right, that you have an accident.” Ethan asked curiously after the nurses left them.

“Yes.” Eve answered in monotone.

“So, what kind of accident?”

“....”

“Alright then, if you don’t want to tell me.” Ethan sighed. “By the way, your mates and some adults dropped these off for you.”

Her classmates dropped off their copy of the notes, so she wouldn’t be missing the classes. Some were also dropped off some flowers and biscuits. There was an elaborate flower bouquet that’s wishing her “a speedy recovery”, which she knew it was from Mycroft.

“There was a lovely old lady dropping off these lunch boxes.” Ethan gave one to her. “She said it was your favorite when you get sick.”

The lovely slow-cooked chicken stew and vegetables, along with some egg and cucumber sandwiches. She shared the sandwiches with Ethan and he stayed for a few hours until the visiting hours were over.

The next day, Sherlock and John came to visit to inform her of the case. Thanks to Soo Lin Yao’s cooperation, the police shutted down the syndicate that’s based in London, but the general Shan had managed to escape. Zhi Zhu died in the shoot-out with the police and Soo Lin Yao felt a bit regretful that she couldn't help her own brother. After the case was wrapped up with no trouble, Myrcroft suddenly came and took Soo Lin Yao in witness protection.

“That reminds me… He knew about Black Lotus and their involvement in this case?” Sherlock implied it.

“I don’t know, maybe he reads the police report.”

“Not unless someone informed him.” Sherlock’s eyes were sharp at her, which made John uncomfortable with the sudden tension.

“....fine, you got me.” Eve sighed tiredly and in defeat.

“What?” John was so lost.

“Evelyn is Mycroft’s spy.” Sherlock stated obviously.

“What?!”

“I have no choice, alright. Either accepting his offer or….”

“Or whoever comes after you will kill you sooner or later.” Sherlock cut her off. John looked at Sherlock and back at Evelyn.

“...yes. I guess what I said before in the museum is the major clue.”

“That confirms my suspicion actually.” Sherlock smirked in victory. “The way you walk around and bring yourself up are too unique for normal people, too trained like police. You carry weapons around, even if it's not lethal until recently, and handle it like an expert. You speak in careful and trained matters, as you’re trying to hide something. The biggest clue though ....”

“You have Mr. Harrison’s scent on you.”

“What?” It’s Eve’s turn to be confused.

“I know Mr. Harrison before and he’s one of Mycroft’s men. I remember his scent pretty well and you have his scent like you live with him. Also, I spotted him on your first day in the hospital.”

“Well, you’re right about everything.” Eve tiredly admitted it. “Without his influence, I may already have frozen to death somewhere unknown in Russia.”

“.... What have you done in the past?” John quietly asked her.

“........ Many terrible things, but I won’t deny the fact....” Eve’s hands were almost trembling to what she said next.

“The fact my hands will never be cleaned again….from blood.”

~0~0~0~

Eve was truly grateful that things didn’t get awkward after that confession. Although, there were times it got a bit awkward, but they managed to settle down in some understanding between her “job” and her “friendship”.

“So, you report to my brother daily?” Sherlock asked it one day.

“Yes.”

“Did you tell everything?”

“Do I look like someone who’s following orders blindfolded?”

“No.”

“Then, we have reached in understanding.”

The smirk on Sherlock’s face was priceless. Mycroft may be her boss and she had to report everything about what Sherlock and John did under her surveillance, but it didn’t mean she had to be true to him all the time. All of her “daily reports” were mostly half-truth and mostly a boring reading, which she made sure of it.

Finally, Eve was released from the hospital after a week full of white room, monotone and neutral atmosphere and bland food. Toby went out ahead as he carried the suitcase of her personal items that she used during her stay.

“Ah, Miss Walker?” One of the nurses called her out.

“Is there something wrong?” Eve turned to the shy nurse before leaving the floor.

“I almost forgot about this flower bouquet.” The nurse said it as she rushed to the nurse desk. “There was a gentleman who dropped this off for you this morning. He insisted we hold it for him and be given to you later when you’re released.”

The nurse came back with a beautiful flower bouquet, but the flowers that’s used for it… Eve held back her tongue because she didn’t want to hurt the nurse’s feeling as she looked pleased about it.

“The gentleman was such a charming man. Not to mention he gave you these beautiful and wonderful flowers for you.” The nurse’s tone was delighted, Eve knew immediately that the nurse didn’t know the meaning of these flowers.

“That’s...very kind of him.” Eve accepted the flowers almost hesitated.

“By any chance, is he the alpha that’s courting you?” The nurse asked almost excitedly.

“No…. I don’t think so.”

“Well, it’s clear that he has been thinking of you. There’s Begonia flowers in it, it means ‘Deep Thinking’.”

“Ye-Yes, I can see that…” Eve almost felt so uncomfortable now. “I… I better get going now. My guardian must be waiting for me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Walker. Have a nice day!”

Eve almost felt pitied and at the same time also felt relieved. Ignorance was such a bliss afterall. Eve leaned to the lift’s wall as she tried to process who sent her this and what he wanted from her.

Aconite (Monkshood). Begonia. Orange lilies.

Beware; A Deadly Foe is Near. Deep Thinking. hatred; pride; and disdain.

Tucked underneath and hidden among the flowers was a single black rose.

Death.

_ Let’s play a great game. -J.M. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be some Russian words and curses, which I dunno if it's correct or not .__. Feel free to tell me if there's some mistakes in there.
> 
> And finally we have someone from MI6 to appear XD

Toby was furious.

So furious that Toby took that ill-feeling flower bouquet to the backyard and burned it into ashes in which he threw the ashes to the river that’s near their backyard, then he contacted someone in which Eve knew it was Mycroft he contacted right now. She just sat nearby with Jeanne in her lap and ready to give her comfort she’s needed while she watched Toby did all of those. She could understand that he was so furious with it as she could feel her anxiety level was close to dangerous now.

“Big Boss has allowed you to take some day-offs from keeping the surveillance.” Toby finally spoke to her. “You’re not going to their flat for awhile.”

“Are you allowed to do that?” Eve asked back. “And more importantly, is that an order?”

“Yes, it’s within my rights as your guardian and Big Boss knows the boundaries of it.” Toby answered firmly. “And yes, it’s an order, that’s including meeting them in public.”

“Fuck.”

“Language, young lady.” Toby warned her. “I know your ways around the rules and bloody know how to bend the rules and not to break it.”

“Seems Mycroft found out what I’ve done with my daily reports, huh.”

“I wonder where you get your streak of rebellious side…” Toby sounded almost tired. “You truly remind me of an old student of mine back when I was in the Service.”

“Was he as stubborn and rebellious as I am?” Eve asked almost playfully.

“I believe he’s worse than you. He almost didn’t listen to half of the things I told him until he learnt it in the hardest ways. Well, the bad side of being an alpha, he’s almost too prideful to listen to ‘a simple beta’ like me even though I had my license to kill.”

“He sounds so handful for you.”

“He was, but he’s matured into a fine young man just in a few years under my teaching. I was never so proud to see him become such a man when I was relieved from my duty and came to work with Big Boss. Last time I heard, he inherited my position in the Service.”

“Good for both of you.”

“Now that I realized it…” Toby seemed to be lost in the memories. “You have the same eyes like him.”

“Really?” It got her curious.

“To be fair, when I first saw you, you had the same fire as his which was the best feature of him. It got me intrigued and sure enough, you’re as handful as he was.”

Eve chuckled loudly about it.

“At least, you’re not reckless young lad like him, but you’re as bad as he was.”

Eve just chuckled at his “misery”.

~0~0~0~

It didn’t take long for Sherlock to show up at her college, approximately 3 days and tons of ignored texts and calls.

It took Eve a few seconds to realize it was Sherlock standing near her classroom and was surrounded by a bunch of beta and omega students, either they were curious or trying to flirt with this strange handsome older alpha. She almost chuckled to see Sherlock was growing visibly annoying with a bunch of “idiotic” people.

“.... What are you doing here?” Eve finally asked, which made Sherlock ignore the group and came to her.

“You aren’t answering.” Sherlock stated, surprisingly no hint of anger or annoyed about it.

“I’m busy catching up with my missing classes.”

“Yet, you have time for your...exercise.” Sherlock pointed it out. “The bruise on your finger.”

“.... Can we talk in private? I know one classroom that’s empty right now.”

Avoiding the crowds and many pairs of either hatred or curiousity, Eve managed to navigate to an empty classroom that’s used by Prof. James Arnold for his Gaia Theory teaching. She once got invited by an acquaintance to come to one of his classes in between her own classes and couldn’t stand it for even 10 minutes. The prof was a good guy, he’s just the type she avoided the most.

Extremist.

She knew around this time, the prof hadn’t come yet, but the classroom was unlocked. She locked the door as soon as Sherlock entered as he followed her from behind.

“Ignore the teaching on the blackboard, I bet you will also find it stupid.”

“No problem. Now, we’re in private, I’m waiting for the answer.”

“Monkshood.” She said it firmly, Sherlock froze in his spot.

“.... What else?”

“Begonia. Orange lilies. And a single black rose.”

“Who sent it to you?” Sherlock’s tone sounded neutral, but his scent had the hint of anger as someone wanted to hurt her.

“Someone with initial J.M.” She gave the message card from the flower bouquet to Sherlock, which he took before going around in the circle trying to figure it out. She managed to slip it before Toby took it to burn it. “And I believe it’s the Moriarty you once mentioned before.”

“A great game…” Sherlock was in deep thought and ignoring his surroundings.

“Anyway, the prof will be here soon enough.” Eve said it to Sherlock while she checked the time. “We better get out of there now or he will insist us to sit down on his boring lecture.”

“Right.” Sherlock finally snapped back to reality. “You will be hearing from me soon.”

“Well, Toby said I can’t come to your flat or meet you in public. Guardian’s order because he can and he will.” Eve pointed it out. “But he doesn’t say anything about ‘you’ that comes to meet me.”

Sherlock smirked at her smart remark as they rushed out.

“Evelyn.” Sherlock called her out before she left him at the main gate. “Keep your guns with you all the time, perhaps more knives. You will need it in the future.”

~0~0~0~

It didn’t take a week for a certain headline news that caught her attention. An explosion straight in front of Sherlock and John’s flat.

Eve even didn’t consider Toby would get angry at her for breaking his order, but she’s too worried to even care. She rushed to the site as soon as possible, rushing out from her group study as soon as the flash news came in, the police officers already knew her face thanks to her involvement with Sherlock and let her in.

“Mrs. Hudson!” Eve called her out in great worry, seeing her sitting with the paramedic. “Are you alright?!”

“Yes, my dear.” Mrs. Hudson sounded shaken, but nevertheless she was alright. “Just the shock and the ringing ears and everything, but I think Sherlock needs you more.”

Sherlock was sitting a bit far from Mrs. Hudson and untreated by the paramedic thanks to the scent he’s letting out, on the edge and dangerously close to snapping to anyone. It's the usual primal reaction of an alpha when there’s something dangerous near their home. Even though it's no longer the old times when alphas had to fight to protect their home, mate and family, it’s still their primal instinct.

“Where’s John?” Eve asked her, knowing John was the closest omega that Sherlock had as a friend. She was too, but John spent more time together with Sherlock than she was as they shared the same flat.

“He’s out for a moment.”

“Fuck.” Eve quietly cursed under her breath before walking towards Sherlock.

“Miss, please step aside. This alpha gentleman is high on adrenaline.” One paramedic stopped her, perhaps worried that Sherlock might have attacked her.

“I’m his friend and an omega.” She informed him. “I may....calm him down.”

The paramedic hesitated for a bit before stepping away to let her come close to Sherlock. He got tense when he caught her scent which she tried hard to make it as calm as possible.

“Sherlock….” She quietly and gently called him out. “Can I come closer?”

A nod was all she needed. She carefully came closer to him and sat down beside him. His head leaned against her shoulder as he got calmer and calmer with her calm omega scent. Jeanne also offered her own way to comfort by laying her head on Sherlock’s lap, which froze Sherlock a bit before patting her head softly.

“Should I call John for you?” Eve quietly asked.

“No… He needs some air.” Sherlock answered her almost normally.

“Alright. Can the paramedic treat you?”

“Yes.”

Eve gave the go signal to the nearby paramedic to come closer to check and possibly treat Sherlock. He almost growled at them before Eve reminded him they weren’t a threat. After the paramedic was finished checking Sherlock, Eve almost caught in surprise to see the person in front of them and waiting for the paramedic to finish their doing.

“You’re Ethan’s friend, right?” The inspector asked her.

“And you’re Ethan’s…father?” Eve asked back. The inspector didn’t look like Ethan at all, his scent was almost different from Ethan’s omega scent. Even though Alpha and Omega scents were distinctly different, there would be some elements of scents that’s similar if they were within the family. She wanted to ask, but that would be a question for another day.

“Yes. Inspector Connor Williams. He told me about you over the dinner table.” Inspector Williams introduced himself. “You will stay with him for tonight?”

Seeing Sherlock’s hyper instinct and many other things, she should’ve.

“Yes.”

“Want me to call my son to get you some clothes?” Inspector Williams offered.

“That would be lovely if he doesn’t mind it.” Eve thanked him for that. “I will call my guardian to inform him of what happened.”

“Take your time, it will be a long night.”

Yes, a long night before the biggest hurricane she ever experienced.

~0~0~0~

Eve felt so suffocated.

She kind of knew that Mycroft and Sherlock didn’t have like the best sibling relationship, but seeing them glaring at each other like that made everything so uncomfortable ESPECIALLY so early in the morning. She didn’t manage to hide her relieved sigh when she heard someone rushing upstairs and John’s scent popped out, mainly because from the sweat he got from running.

“Sherlock! Are you alright??”

He was surprised to see Mycroft sitting inside the ruined flat and the fact Eve almost jumped at him for feeling so glad he was here. Being in a room with 2 stubborn alphas was a bit overwhelming for her omega side, even Jeanne was bothered by it. Being with another omega was really calming her down while these 2 stubborn alphas were arguing about a “top secret” case.

“How’s Sarah, John?” Eve whispered quietly.

“Ho-Nevermind, she’s fine.” John was taken aback for a bit, but already used to it. “You...stayed for a night?”

“The explosion last night made Sherlock somewhat semi-aggressive thanks to his primal Alpha instinct, so I stayed for a night to calm him down.” Eve answered and was a bit surprised to find a small hint of jealousy and disappointed from John’s scent. Interesting.

“I slept on the sofa, just like you did.” Eve added.

“Wait, how did…. Nevermind.” John just sighed tiredly as they watched these 2 stubborn alphas were fighting off each other with their eyes and scents.

“If you’re so keen, why don’t you investigate it?” Sherlock finally challenged him.

“No, no, no. I can’t possibly leave the office for any length of time. Not with the Korean elections so near-” Mycroft stopped, smiling sweetly as if he was mocking Sherlock. “Yes, well, you don’t need to know about that, do you? Besides, a case like this. It requires...leg-work, which is why I’m going to pull Walker out from her ‘duty’ temporarily.”

“What?” Eve was shocked, and so was John and Sherlock as well for some odd reasons.

“By the end of the day, she’s one of my people, which means I can give such direct order to her.” Mycroft was still smiling sweetly. “But you’re also welcome to solve it as well, and maybe Walker will go back to her ‘original duty’ soon enough.”

“You’re seriously going to do that?” Eve asked back, but stopped. “Oh, you will.”

“Andrew West. Known as “Westie” to his friends. Civil servant. Found dead on the rails at Battersea station this morning. Head smashed in.” Mycroft said it while holding on the documents like he’s baiting Sherlock and Eve.

“Jumped in front of a train?” John asked.

“Seems to be the logical assumption.” Eve responded, but she felt it’s so much more.

“But?”

“But?” Mycroft parroted back.

“Well, you wouldn’t be here if it was just an accident, or have to direct order Eve to investigate it.” John shot it.

“Ha!” Sherlock agreed.

“The Ministry of Defence has been working on a new missile defence system. The Bruce-Partington Program, it’s called. And the plans for it were on a memory stick.” Mycroft explained, in which Sherlock chuckled sarcastically.

“That wasn’t very clever.” John agreed with Sherlock.

“Have to say, it’s probably the stupidest thing to do.” She even agreed about that.

“It’s not the only copy. But it is a secret. And missing.”

“Top secret?” John sounded delighted about it.

“Very. We think West must’ve taken the memory stick and we can’t possibly risk it falling into the wrong hands. Come along, Walker, we have many things to do for this case.” Mycroft stood up and indicated to her to follow him along.

“Think it over, Sherlock. Goodbye, John, and see you soon.”

Eve was thrown between following her boss or staying with Sherlock and John. John gave her an understanding look since he knew her feelings since he worked with authority in the military afterall. Sherlock kept silent and was playing his violin.

“Better not keep my brother waiting, Evelyn.” Sherlock said it out loud. “And it’s not your fault.”

“.... You boys better behave while I’m gone, alright?”

With that, she followed Mycroft out and into the car waiting for them to take them back to his office.

~0~0~0~

It may not be her first time in Mycroft’s office, but this was her first time to enter alone.

Mycroft handed over the document for her to read it as a whole. Andrew West, 27 years old, a clerk at Vauxhall Cross, aka MI6 building. He was last seen by his girlfriend at nine thirty on Monday night. He had a clean record, no connection to any terrorist groups or sympathists of such groups. His fiance, Lucy Harrison, also had a clean record and worked a completely normal job.

“He suddenly left her without explanation, but then found dead at Battersea…..” Eve trailed off as she tried to figure out what happened. “Did he get on the Tube?”

“No.” Mycroft answered too quickly. “He had an Oyster card but it hadn’t been used.”

“Ticket?” Eve guessed again.

“There was no ticket on the body.”

“That’s….interesting.” Eve sensed a small hint of displeased from Mycroft when she asked that. “I will visit the scene before my afternoon class.”

“Good, I hope you can provide me the answer of how he came to end up with a bashed-in brain on the tracks at Battersea. I was hoping Sherlock would provide an answer.” Mycroft looked at her firmly. “Don’t let me down, Walker.”

“....one question.” Eve asked Mycroft.

“Yes?”

“Since this case is related to MI6, is there a chance I may encounter….perhaps MI6 agent that sent to retrieve the memory stick or MI6’s enemy?” Eve asked carefully. “If that happens, what’s the best approach I should take?”

“Good question.” Mycroft almost sounded proud about it. “Good news is this case is an isolated incident, so no outside influence will bother your investigation. However, there’s a high chance that MI6 will send an agent to do the same thing like yours. If that happens, coordinate with them and hide your identity. You may say you’re a private detective that’s hired by someone from Whitehall if they get suspected.”

“Understood.”

“Good, you may go.” Mycroft dismissed her, in which she gladly did. “And good luck in your investigation. I will be waiting for the result.”

It was nerve-wracking, her second job and first job to investigate a case alone. Good thing she had her guns now.

~0~0~0~

Just like Eve promised, she went to the Tube line where Andrew West was found as soon as her morning class was over and had a quick lunch.

“This is where West was found?” Eve asked casually to the guard who accompanied her.

“Yeah. You gonna be long?” The guard responded with the same casual tone.

“Might be.”

“You with the police, then?” The guard asked curiously, eying suspiciously on Jeanne who was excited to be in a new place.

“Sort of.” She answered in a monotone tone.

“You’re awfully young to be with the police!” The guard sounded shocked about it.

“Baby face.” She answered back with the same monotone tone.

“Oi, mate!” Suddenly, someone called someone out from the distance, in which Eve and the guard turned around to see another pair coming by. The man with the other guard was dressed nicely and casually with the hint of professionalism. The way he walked suggested that he was from the police or received military training. He looked shocked and confused when their eyes met.

“Oi, who’s with you?” The guard asked his mate back.

“Someone from the police.” His mate answered back, then looked puzzled. “What are you and this young lady doing here?”

“She’s with the police as well.” The guard sounded puzzled as well with this and they looked back at her and the gentleman in puzzle.

“I’m sorry, gentlemen.” The gentleman finally spoke up, Eve found a small hint of an accent in his voice. “Apparently, my young assistant is too hyped to investigate this case, so she went ahead and didn’t wait for me. You know young people… They are always full of energy.”

“I see.” The guard and his mate finally understood.

“Seriously, don’t run off on your own, little  _ mysh _ .” The gentleman came over and patted her head like he always did it to her, like they weren’t a total stranger. She wanted to protest, but it would raise more suspicion between them.

“Alright, mate. I will leave them to you.” His mate said it to the guard and left.

“So, little  _ mysh _ , what do you get?” The gentleman asked her sweetly.

“Well… There’s surprisingly a small amount of blood traces, considering the victim’s head was smashed in.” Eve trailed off as she crouched down to check on the line.

“Well done, little  _ mysh _ . There’s no blood on the line. Has it been cleaned off?” The gentleman slightly praised her before turning to the guard to ask.

“No. There wasn’t much.” The guard answered like it’s obvious.

“You said his head was smashed in, right?” The gentleman asked in confusion.

“It was. But there wasn’t much blood.”

“I see.”

“I’ll leave you both to it, then. Give us a shout when you’re off.” And with that, the guard wandered way up to the tunnel, leaving the pair alone.

“So…” The gentleman finally asked her, almost in a dangerous tone despite his tone remaining as casual as possible. “Who are you? And who do you work for?”

“Private detective.” Eve answered carefully. “Hired by someone from Whitehall.”

“How can I trust you for that?” He challenged her.

“And how can I trust you?” Eve challenged back. “I know who I’m working for and I know he’s someone who serves the Queen and the Country, but I don’t know who you are and who you work for.”

“...Glad we’re in the same understanding.” The gentleman spoke casually after that confrontation.

“So, MI6?” Eve asked.

“Why?”

“The victim worked in Vauxhall Cross, so of course MI6 might get involved.” Eve shot it back. “And besides, the one that hired me also told me there's a high possibility that you or someone else from MI6 will investigate.”

“Clever little  _ mysh _ .” He sounded so delighted.

“Stop calling me mouse.” Eve finally said it in frustration, which shocked the gentleman a bit.

“Oh, you know your Russian.” He was amazed by it. “I’m starting to like you, little  _ mysh _ .”

“Stop calling me mouse, you bloody git.” Eve raised her voice in frustration.

“You never tell me your name.”

“And you never introduce yourself despite being a gentleman and an alpha.” Eve challenged back, despite the gentleman in front of her was an Alpha.

“Clever girl.” The gentleman smirked in delight. “William Sterling, at your service.”

“Sera.” Eve answered him with a fake name since she didn’t have to tell him her real name afterall.

“Nice to meet you, Sera.” The agent offered his handshake, which she took. “And now, let’s go back to our man.”

“Right.”

“It’s easy to say that our man didn’t die here due to the lack of blood and must be killed somewhere, but how did he get here and where’s the real crime scene?” The agent wondered.

“Could be anywhere.” Eve responded and held on a map. “According to the autopsy, he had been dead for a few hours before being found. Dumping a body in such a place like this is too weird and too open, with guards and all, making it easy to draw attention.”

“I believe there’s no ticket found with the body and his oyster card wasn’t used, right?” The agent asked and Eve just responded with a nod. “Being thrown out from the Tube is also drawing people’s attention.”

“Yes…..unless…..” Eve stood up and watched a Tube passing by in another rail. “The body was dumped on the top of the Tube.”

“If that’s true, it will expand our search of the true crime scene.” The agent agreed with her.

“I’d love to investigate it…” Eve said sadly as she looked at her watch. “But my afternoon class will be in 2 hours.”

“Aft- You’re a flipping student?!” The agent was shocked of course.

“College student to be correct, and I need to keep up with my studies or else my guardian will be so angry at me….again.” Eve sighed as she wandered away from the rails.

“So, we’re going in each other’s ways?” The agent asked.

“Not unless we work together, if you want to.” Eve said back. “The one that hired me also said I can coordinate with the sent MI6 agent if I have to.”

“Well, two heads are better than one.” The agent followed her calmly. “Meeting point?”

“There’s a nice pub in Sale PI, we can meet there at 7 pm.” Eve chose the pub a bit far away from her college on purpose, she didn’t want him to know where she was.

“Alright, I will be collecting more info with the guards if there’s anything off with the Tube on that day.” The agent agreed with her. “And I will see you there, Sera.”

“Likewise, Agent Sterling.”

~0~0~0~

And he’s a man of his words.

He was already inside the pub when she arrived at 6.50 pm and he was talking with the nice bartender and already drinking 2 pints of beer, amazingly he didn’t appear drunk yet. Seems being a Russian made him able to hold his liquor.

“Ah, there’s my young assistant.” The agent announced excitedly. “Sorry, lady. It’s time for my job.”

“Nice knowing you, Mr. Sterling.” The bartender smiled before turning to Eve. “May I see your ID please?”

“Yes. And may I have a pint of Proper Job?” Eve showed her ID, within legal age to drink in the pub, before ordering. The bartender smiled after confirming her ID and grabbed her a pint.

“Let’s order dinner as well.” The agent offered and winked. “My treat. You can even have dessert as well.”

“Alright, bangers and mash then with bread pudding for dessert.”

“Fish and chips for me then.”

They moved from the bar and to the table before Sterling laid out his findings. Eve was impressed to see his findings, up to the CCTV around the lines that caught on Andrew West in the records. He managed to trace back to perhaps the starting point of when Andrew West was seen in the CCTV on the top of the Tube.

“So, that night, the Tube was stopped for a few minutes aside from stopping at the station, but only in this timeline that there’s possibility that someone dumped the body on the top of the Tube.” Eve trailed off as she took a sip of her beer.

“The Tube also passed unsavory neighborhoods, so not a lot of cameras before this timeline.” Sterling pointed it out as he handed over the copy of the photos from the CCTV.

“There’s like around 20-30 houses and several districts during that timeline alone.” Eve sighed tiredly.

“And we don’t have search warrant for sure and break-in will just result in more problems.” He also sighed tiredly with her.

The waiter finally came to their table with their food, so they covered the pictures and kept quiet as she sweetly placed their food and left them alone. Since they were hungry, they took some bites and savored it before resuming their investigation talk.

“We need a better lead.” Sterling stated it.

“Seems I have to snoop around my workplace then.” The agent answered before taking a bite of a chip. “Perhaps someone is unsavory with Andrew West recently.”

“If that’s the case, why did that someone take the plan after killing him?” Eve asked back.

“A traitor in my workplace then. It’s common.” Sterling stated it like it's a very usual thing for him to say and deal with.

“Conducting a mole hunt in such an organization takes a long time.” Eve told him before eating a bite. “That person may already sell the plan by the time they reach them.”

“I have my own way, don’t worry.” Sterling reassured her. “My position is high enough to snoop around.”

“Guess you have quite a reputation.” Eve said it sarcastically. “Or just someone who loves to flirt around.”

“Wow, that’s quite an assumption.” He smirked.

“Not really when there’s middle finger drawing on this picture here.” Eve smirked back as she showed him the picture.

“Damn those geeks in Q Branch.” He sounded playfully angry at them, like it’s a very usual joke these people threw at him. “Anyway, I will try to find something in my workplace. Perhaps he will have a bigger clue there.”

“How long will it take?” Eve asked curiously.

“Probably a day or two, needs to win many hearts to get into some juicy gossip.” Sterling smirked playfully.

“In the meantime, I will background-check him again.” Eve stated idly. “Perhaps there’s some friends outside his workplace that’s under the radar.”

“Alright, that’s settled. We meet again in 2 days? Same place and same time?” He asked back.

“Sure, I don’t mind it.”

“See you in 2 days then.”

~0~0~0~

It’s frustrating.

Eve had been trying to find anything that raised the red flag among Andrew West’s circle of friends and his families, even to his extended families. Some had a history of petty crimes like shoplifting or ticket for speeding or something like that. None of them was involved with a terrorist group or sympathizers of such groups. Few had history with illegal drugs or gangs, but they lived in different areas from the area within the missing timeline and they didn’t have a connection at all.

She tried the different angle and background-check his fiance and her family, she eliminated her extended families as there’s a chance they never met. Another clean record.

She was so stressed out that she got a temporary heat which Toby noticed right away and rushed her to the heat clinic, temporary heat only lasted a day or maybe through the night as well and triggered by huge amounts of stress. Good thing she was conscious enough to ask Toby to rely her apology note to Sterling which was given to the bartender and they would meet again somewhere else during lunch to make it up.

The next day, she was out of the heat clinic feeling too tired which Toby took her straight back home to get more rest.

To her surprise again, she was too shocked to see Sterling was waiting inside the pub near her college. He was kind enough to park two blocks away from the college to avoid any jealous looks from her fellow students.

“You smell….omega? Don’t you wear a scent blocker?” Sterling asked, almost shocked to realize it.

“Temporary heat due to huge stress….” Eve answered him. “And I use scent blocker that my omega scent is almost replaced by synthetic beta scent and since I just came out from temporary heat, my omega scent is stronger.”

“To be honest, I thought you’re an alpha, since usually alphas that use scent blocker unless you work with government or companies for professionalism.” Sterling said it casually. “No offense, I know some omegas have bigger balls than alphas. My boss is a female omega and she’s the most respectful boss and everyone respects her, including the alphas. I respect her very much.”

“I will take that as a compliment.” Eve responded to it, then realized.

“.... Agent Sterling, how come you know I’m studying in that college?”

“Do you think I just researched everyone in the case?” The agent responded in a professional tone. “Of course I searched for your background as well and I found out about you almost everything.”

“Like?”

“Like being rescued from an isolated and abusive household, home-tutored for a year to be reintroduced to society, somehow manage to get a double major in Imperial College. And your name isn’t Sera, which is obvious since we met as strangers.” He stated casually as they walked to the parking lot. “Gonna say, I’m impressed.”

“Guess the ‘geeks of Q Branch’ are talented hackers.”

“They are, and they can make my life miserable if I piss one of them.” Sterling sounded so defeated as he said it. “Piss one of them and you piss the whole branch.”

“Sounds like a good bunch of people who are loyal to each other.”

“Trust and loyalty are hard to find in episonage world.” Sterling commented on it, almost sadly.

“Not only in your world, every corner of the world.”

“And yet, here we are. 2 strangers that’s bonded over a case and mutual understanding.” He smiled.

“Yes, here we are. God forbids we can be friends despite being strangers, in totally opposite with one another.”

“I know you’re not an adult yet, but we can always have a talk as adults.”

“And by the way, I mean to ask you this.”

“What is it?”

“Why are we going in different directions?” Eve finally asked after a while watching the street after Sterling got them into his car and drove off.

“Well, before we have lunch together, we’re going to meet the fiance first.”

~0~0~0~

It was a tidy small house, enough for a modest life together if Lucy Harrison married Andrew West.

“He wouldn’t. He just wouldn’t.” She was sobbing, of course she was. The man she loved was murdered and now being “accused” as traitor.

“Stranger things have happened.” Eve tried to reason with her.

“Westie wasn’t a traitor. It’s a horrible thing to say.” She insisted.

“I’m sorry. But you must understand, that’s-” Sterling got his turn to speak up, but she cut him off.

“That’s what they think, isn’t it? Your bosses.” She accused, her beta scent was in great distress with the presents of 2 strangers asking about her dead fiance.

Eve could see Sterling wanted to say something to give a white lie, but he found himself slightly nodded and she wanted to throw something at him.

“Miss Harrison, please understand.” Eve stopped her before she’s done something she would regret. “Mr. Sterling is just doing his job, but I’m sure Mr. Sterling doesn’t have any ill feeling towards Mr. West.”

“Ah...yes. I can’t go against what my bosses’ thoughts and orders are.” Sterling carefully said it. “But I can promise you that we will find the truth.”

“I just…. I just can’t understand……” She went back to sobbing.

“Well, He was a young man, about to get married. He had debts.” Eve trailed off, trying to bait something.

“Everyone’s got debts! And Westie would never have wanted to clear them by selling out his country.” She went heated soon enough, but managed to calm down a little bit after Eve calmed her down with her omega scent. Jeanne eyed her in worry, but Eve patted her gently and she’s back laying down beside her.

“And how had he been? Recently?” Sterling asked her back, trying as kindly as possible.

“... Fine.” She finally answered after a few seconds of silence.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes…” She took a deep breath and sighed. “I suppose he had been a bit...off. Bit distracted. Since the engagement party, really. But I thought it was just stress. People think it must be glamorous working for them. The Security Service. But it’s not. It’s a slog.”

“A slog it is.” Sterling agreed with her, but Eve could sense a sadness from his tone.

“Can you....can you tell me exactly what happened? That night?” Eve asked her as carefully as possible.

“We were having a night in. Just watching a DVD. He usually falls asleep, you know but he sat through this one. He was...quiet. Out of the blue he said he had to go and see someone.” Then she started to cry, and it seems talking about that night brought out the worst memory out of her.

“You’ve no idea who?” Sterling asked her, which all his answer was a shake.

Finally it was time for lunch, even though it’s a bit late for it, so they excused themselves. They knew they overstayed and had been making her distress with all these questions and the thought of her fiance being a traitor. As Lucy showed Eve and Sterling out, the front door opened and a man entered, pushing his bike inside. He’s Lucy’s older brother named Joe and he was a cycle courier, Eve knew it from her intense background-check.

“Oh. Hi Luce. You ok, love?” The man greeted her and gave her kiss on her cheek.

“Yeah.” She answered him as calmly as she could after all of that.

“Who are these people?” He asked her as he eyed from top to bottom of Eve and Sterling.

“William Sterling and this is my assistant, Sera.” Sterling introduced himself and Eve, which she was grateful that he still used the fake name she gave to him even though he already knew her background.

“This is my brother. Joe. Mr Sterling and his assistant are trying to find out what happened to Westie, Joe.” She explained carefully.

“You with the police?” He shot it out.

“Kind of.” Sterling replied casually.

“Well, tell them to get off their arses! It’s bloody ridiculous.” He began to sound annoyed about all of this.

“I’ll do my best. Well...thanks for your help. And again, I’m very sorry.” Sterling reassured him and almost walked away solemnly before Lucy said something else.

“He didn’t steal those things, Mr Sterling. I knew Westie. He was a good man. He was my good man.” And with that, she came back inside and they left the house with more questions than answers.

~0~0~0~

It had been a long day, so Sterling decided to suspend the investigation until tomorrow.

“And by the way, here’s my number.” Sterling gave Eve his contact before she left for his afternoon class.

“Personal number or work number?” She asked back.

“My personal number while I’m in London.” Sterling gave her a soft smile. “In case we can hang out as friends when I have a day off or two.”

“....”

“Don’t worry, you may be an omega with a beautiful look and smart brain, but you’re too young for my taste and I have my own type of men and women.” Sterling joked it lightly.

“Well, considering you’re like twice my age, people will think of you as a pedophile.” Eve joked back.

“For heaven’s sake, please no!” Sterling laughed it off. “Anyway, you can call or text me whenever you want to talk or ask for help.”

“Even though it may bother your….maybe missions?” Eve teased.

“Well, I can’t bring my personal phone while on active duty.” Sterling pointed it out. “But it’s easy to tell if I’m in London or not.”

“Alright then.” Eve accepted the number. “I will text you my number and time when we have lunch together again. See you later.”

“See you later.”

~0~0~0~

They met again the next day, in the small quiet cafe after her morning class. Being a good dog, Jeanne stayed underneath her after receiving good pats from Sterling when they met.

Sterling had dug everything he could within MI6 and Andrew West’s co-workers’ circle and Eve already got everything they needed. They got so tired about this case as there wasn’t a legit reason that got him killed. She finally got tired of all of this while Sterling was almost got annoyed with everything.

“Want another cuppa?”

That voice woke her up and almost jumped from her seat.

“Jesus fucking christ!” Eve’s surprise alerted Sterling and he almost reached something, in which she guessed his gun. “Don’t do that, Sherlock!”

“How’s the investigation, Evelyn?” Sherlock asked casually.

“Not really good…” Eve sighed tiredly.

“Oh, Sherlock, this is William Sterling, he’s-”

“MI6 Agent that’s sent by MI6 themselves to crack this case.” Sherlock pointed it out. “Although he’s not really a ‘normal field agent’ though.”

“... You’re good at observation.” Sterling praised him. “I can see where lil Sera learns it.”

“Sherlock, what are you-Evelyn!?” John came in this time.

“Alright, time for proper introduction now.” Eve gestured to them to sit down with them.

“Sherlock, meet William Sterling and like Sherlock said, MI6 Agent who was sent to investigate this case. Sterling, this is Sherlock Holmes, the one and only consulting detective, and Dr. John Watson, his blogger.”

“I already expect you to find out how Andrew West didn't get murdered in the lines.” Sherlock ignored it as he examined the documents they were working on. “But you’re looking into the bigger picture.”

“Is he like that?” Sterling asked curiously.

“He is.” Eve and John answered at the same time.

“And by the way, how long have you been following me?” Eve asked Sherlock curiously.

“From the start. You don’t think I’d give up a case like this one just to spite my brother, do you?” Sherlock stated like it was so obvious. “And I know you can crack this case up to 80%, but you focus too big.”

“ _ Khorosho _ ….” Eve splitted her Russian in, too tired to even care John’s confused look when he heard that. Taking Sherlock’s advice, she started to focus on smaller scale, crossing each photo with marker until she arrived at few photos left and it clicked.

“ _ Blyat _ ! I’m being such a  _ dura _ !” Eve finally realized.

“You finally get it?”

“Yes…. _ pizdets _ .”

John was kind of lost it when Eve began to talk in both English and Russian, but Sterling understood it all and looked so amused to see her swearing around like they were seeing a new side of her.

“So, we better not waste more time now.” Sherlock said it and stood up, which Eve followed and rushed outside together.

“Wait, hold on, both of you!” John shouted after them and rushed out with Sterling after they paid.

“Where are you going now, lil Sera?” Sterling asked in an amused tone.

“The killer’s house. And we need to do a bit of burglary for that.”

~0~0~0~

“Reminds me once again why I’m agreed to do this.” Sterling spoke up as the group arrived in a block.

“Because it’s the only way to confront the killer.” Eve answered playfully. “And also the plan is inside as well.”

That got him interested.

“We know the missile defence plans haven’t left the country. Mycroft’s people would have heard by now and he won’t directly order Evelyn to investigate within London.” Sherlock stated as he analyzed the whole thing. “Or you won’t be in some country to retrieve it back by now.”

“Good one, Mr. Holmes. Secret Service is still around afterall.” Sterling praised.

“I know that. I’ve seen ‘Spooks’.” John commented.

“Which means that whoever stole that memory stick can’t sell it or doesn’t know what to do with it. My money’s on the latter.” Eve followed up. “And we’re here.”

They all arrived in front of a small and messy flat that looked like it belonged to a young man. There were bike parts all around the property, which Sterling finally connected the dots.

“That fellow… Can’t believe he’s done this.” Sterling commented almost in anger as he crouched and noticed the blood stains that’s tried to be cleaned off at the bottom of the stair.

“... Whose house is this?” John asked carefully.

“Joe Harrison, Andrew West’s future brother-in-law.” Eve answered almost grievely. “Or so he thought so.”

“.... I wrote him off from the suspect's list since he had a clean record and his fiance’s brother.” Eve quietly admitted. “I’ve gone soft.”

“You’re not me, Evelyn, you make mistakes, I don’t.” Even though he wasn’t mocking her, it got her irritated a bit.

“ _ Zatknis _ .”

Sherlock ignored it as he processed the break-in, pick-pocketing the lock like an expert.

“What if there’s someone in?” John hissed in worry.

“There isn’t.” Sherlock, Eve and Sterling answered at the same time, which made John a bit irritated for feeling he’s the less smarter here.

They creeped inside carefully, with Sterling closed and locked the door to avoid the alertness from Joe if he came back home. The wall of the main room was dominated by its windows. Then, almost at once, a rumbling roar came from below them. Sherlock crossed to the windows and threw them open, revealing a view of railway lines beneath. Sherlock pressed his face close to the woodwork of the windows. There were scuff marks and smears of blood.

“He either forgot to clean this up or just didn’t care about it since it’s inside his own house.” Eve commented quietly as she noticed the same thing as well.

“Why did he do it?” John asked right before they heard the door unlocking.

“Let’s ask him.” Sherlock stated it as a matter-of-fact.

Joe came into the front room, wheeling his bike like it’s his thing everyday. He froze at the sight of all four of them, waiting for his arrival and confession. A strange look crossed his face and knew immediately he was found out. He lifted up the bike, prepared to hurl it at them.

Click.

“Don’t do it, lad, or you will regret it.” Sterling threatened him with his gun trained expertly at him. John was also ready to pull out his gun and Eve had to hold Jeanne before she jumped at him due to sight of threat, giving off the signal that Joe was already outnumbered and just gave in. He gave in almost immediately, putting down his bike and letting Sterling guide his miserable self to the sofa and forced him to sit down and talk.

“It wasn’t meant to...oh God. This is such a bloody mess. What’s Lucy gonna say? Jesus.” Joe finally said something after in silence for a few minutes while he slumped on his sofa so miserably.

“Why did you kill him?” John asked in a stern tone.

“It was an accident.” It earned both Sherlock and Eve’s scoffs.

“Everyone says the same thing when they are caught red-handed about their committed murders.” Even Sterling didn’t believe it.

“I swear it was.” Joe insisted in desperate.

“But stealing the plans for the missile defence program, that wasn’t an accident. Was it?” Eve confronted him straight on.

Joe sighed in miserable and desperate before speaking up.

“I started pushing. Drugs, I mean. The bike thing is a great cover, but...I dunno. I dunno how it started but I got out of my depth. I owed people thousands. Serious people. I didn’t know what to do. Then, at Westie’s engagement, he started talking about his job. He was usually so careful. But, you know, after a few pints he opened up a bit, told me about these missile plans that’s beyond top secret and showed me the memory stick. I mean, you hear about these things getting lost. Turning up on rubbish dumps and stuff but there it was!”

“And that’s when you thought to steal it, planning to sell it to someone.”

“Yes, I knew it’d be worth a fortune. It was pretty easy to get the thing off him. He was so plastered. Next time I saw him, I could see by the look on his face that he knew. Knew it was me that’d taken it.”

“What happened? The night he died?” John asked carefully.

“I was struggling to get my key into the lock when he suddenly appeared out of the darkness and wrestled me to the ground, demanding the memory stick. We fought and he fell back against the slick, cracking his head. I knew he was dead soon as I saw him. Didn’t have a clue what to do so I dragged him in here. I was just sitting in the dark, thinking and thinking…”

“When a neat little idea popped into your head…” Eve cut him off softly as she eyed to the tube line right below the window.

“Yes… I opened my window, dragged his body onto the top of a waiting tube train. After I did that, the train trundled away into the darkness.”

“Carrying Andrew West a long way away from here. The body would have gone on for ages if the train hadn’t hit a stretch of line with curves and points.” Eve stated almost in cold tone.

“Exactly.”

“You’ve still got it, then? The memory stick?” Sterling demanded, almost dangerously.

“Yes.” Joe answered him hopelessly.

“Show it to me.” Sterling threatened him, waiting for Joe to get up on his own. “Don’t make me force you to do it.”

Joe got up from the sofa and slowly walked deeper into the house with Sterling following him from behind, his gun was still visible to be seen to serve as a warning.

“Distraction over. Back to the game.” Sherlock suddenly said it excitedly, making her confused with the sudden excitement.

“What game?” Eve asked curiously.

“I will explain everything later, Evelyn.” John reassured her before turning to Sherlock. “Maybe that’s over too. There’s been nothing from the bomber.”

“Bomber?!”

“Five pips, John. Remember? And we’ve only had four.”

“Somebody explain to me what the actual fuck are you guys dealing now while you both are off from my surveilliance!”

~0~0~0~

One phone call to Scotland Yard was all they needed to get Joe Harrison arrested for Andrew West’s murder.

John finally explained everything that happened to them for the last 4 days and both Sterling and Eve were mortified. They knew news about a gas leak explosion in an old flat block, but to think it was actually part of a sick game Sherlock and John were playing. Eve gave each of them a smack at their heads and swore to make Mycroft never let them unsupervised ever.

With that, Sherlock and John came back to their flat while Sterling would drive her to college for her afternoon class. There was a silence between them, but it was welcoming and comfortable silence.

“Guess our collaboration is over now.” Sterling smiled comfortably as Eve got out of the car.

“Perhaps we will meet again if my Boss has a case related to MI6.” Eve playfully teased that.

“Better yet, if you come to work for MI6.” Sterling said, almost in a serious tone.

“Are you recruiting me?” Eve teased back, which earned a soft smile from him.

“Perhaps, not my place to recruit new blood for MI6.” Sterling laughed. “But I can recommend it.”

“Well, maybe I will come to MI6 if I’m qualified enough for an espionage career.” Eve joked about it, since she was already in an espionage career now.

“I will keep that in mind.” He smirked playfully.

“It’s a joke, you know.”

“Anyway, I will deliver back this memory stick to my boss.” Sterling ignored it. “You can tell your case to your boss later.”

“Alright, I see you around then.”

“Yes, see you later.”

And it was just a short goodbye when Eve received a phone call from Sterling himself on the same day when she emptied the entire round in shooting range, Toby signaled her to stop before handing over her phone to her. He didn’t even say hello or anything as soon as she picked it up.

_ “The memory stick is empty.” _

“What?!” It surprised her. “There’s no way Joe deleted all of it!”

_ “And I don’t see any other memory stick aside that one with the plan when I saw him taking it for me! Other than me, you’re the only one who touched it!” _

“It wasn’t me! And besides, Sherlock also….” Then it clicked her. “That  _ yebanat vonuchii _ !”

_ “.... He switched the memory stick.” _

“Yes, he’s fucking switched the memory stick!” Eve was raged now. “Meet me at Baker Street 221b now!”

Eve quickly excused herself to Toby, quickly dressed with more layered clothes and pulled up a cab and told him to hurry to the address. She tried to call either of them, but it went straight to voicemail which she cursed loudly and Toby warned her somewhere from the house.

For the first time, she forgot to bring Jeanne with her.

Mrs. Hudson was confused to see her so angry when she asked for Sherlock, but still answered her that both Sherlock and John were out currently. She went to their shared flat to find a clue of where they were going when she spotted John’s laptop that Sherlock often used without his permission. He opened the laptop and was Sherlock’s website, along with the “answers” of the game John had told her. The last update was an invitation to meet someone at the “pool”.

“What are they playing now?” Sterling suddenly spoke up from behind, blocked Eve’s upcoming knife stab that triggered by the surprise.

“I don’t know honestly.” Eve answered and lowered her weapon. “But I know Sherlock is meeting with the bomber with the memory stick and now we have to figure out where this pool is.”

“I think it’s obvious.” Sterling said it as he pointed to the wall full of red strings, pictures, newspaper clips, and photos.

“....This pool.” Eve stared at those before pointing out the Carl Powers case. “That’s where they are now.”

“No time to be wasted then since it’s almost midnight.”

~0~0~0~

The pool was dead quiet, but none of them were taking any chances. Both Sterling and Eve had their guns ready for anyone that’s a threat.

“But then, you know what I look like don’t you? It’s me who’s at a disadvantage.” Sherlock was talking somewhere in the pool area and they quickly rushed to where his voice was.

“Little getting-to-know-you present. It’s what the whole thing’s been for, isn’t it? All your little puzzles. Making me dance. All meant to distract me from this.”

There he was, holding the memory stick up to be shown to someone he tried to bait them out.

“You wanker, Holmes!” Sterling shouted at him and rushed to him, Eve managed to hold him off from hitting Sherlock. “What are you planning with it in the first place!”

“Because he’s the one who knows about this plan and distracted me to help you and Evelyn into obtaining it.” Sherlock stated. “All the games he prepared for me, those are distraction from this.”

“....Did Boss know about it?” Eve received no answer from Sherlock, which she sighed and took the memory stick from his hand. “Sometimes, I hate you Sherlock.”

Then from the distance, another door opened and then banged shut, alerting Sterling and trained his gun to the source of that noise. Sherlock whirled round with Eve ready with her gun. Footsteps on the tiled floor as a bulky figure resolved from the darkness.

“Evening.” It was John and his expression was unreadable, his voice was strangely stilted, halting. “This is a turn up, isn’t it, Sherlock?”

“John? What the hell are you-” Sherlock was so confused, so shocked, same with Eve and Sterling.

“Bet you never saw this coming.” His voice was tight and finally, Eve caught his scent.

“Sherlock, calm.” Eve warned him and grabbed his arm to snap him out. “His scent… He’s in distress.”

A tiny, red laser light dancing over John’s bulky coat, which John revealed underneath it. Explosives. Sterling cursed in Russian under his breath and whirled around to locate the sniper. John’s scent was full of distress and fear, it almost sent Sherlock into frenzy with his alpha instinct to protect the omega that’s part of his pack or something like that by biologically. Eve had to hold him back, so he wouldn’t go frenzy.

“You coward! Show yourself instead of using someone else!” Eve shouted angrily to no one, but she knew it was heard.

“We finally meet, Evelyn Walker.” The voice that fed John finally addressed her. “Or should I call you Prometheus, your hacker persona?”

It made her freeze in place, with Sherlock and Sterling’s confused and worried look to her.

“.....Lokke.”

She remembered that name, she first encountered him last year. She was still a greenhorn in hacking compared to Lokke, a very expert hacker. Strangely, he showed her some ropes for some time and even worked together a few times before she noticed that he wanted to pull her into more shady parts. That’s when she cut off their contacts and she destroyed her laptop in an attempt to cover her hacker profile. Good thing she used it solely for hacking and not for her work, but it seemed it wasn’t enough.

“I’m sad not seeing you in the game, Prometheus.” The voice that fed through John finally said it. “But you’re onto that missile plan, so I forgive you. I believe you fixed some small parts in there when we managed to hack into the plan and didn’t claim it’s your work. Those small parts were the actual break-through.”

The weight of the memory stick suddenly felt heavier than it should’ve been.

“Nice touch this, right? The pool where little Carl died. Funny is one of the engineers who made that plan was one of his classmates and failed to save Carl. He almost failed to save the lives of millions.”

The laser point ranged over John’s chest. He swallowed, terrified.

“I stopped him laughing. I can stop John Watson too, to stop his heart.”

“Who are you?!”

“I gave you my number. Thought you might call.” A completely new voice echoed around the empty pool, Sterling pulled Eve to cover her.

The slight, elfin figure merged from the darkness. His scent was a proud alpha with a huge hint of mischief and danger. A sudden appearance of strange alpha made her hide behind Sterling even more.

“Is that a British Army Browning L9A1 in your pocket - or are you just pleased to see me?” He teased, almost pleasingly.

“Both.” Sherlock sounded so calculated and pulled out the gun, John’s gun, and trained at him.

“Jim Moriarty. Hi.” Something about him made her eerie. “Jim. From the hospital?”

He held out his hand, smiled warmly. Sherlock didn’t respond, which made Jim look disappointed and pulled out a mock sad face.

“Really, did I make such a fleeting impression? But then, that was rather the point.”

“.....You’re the one who sent me those flowers.” Eve pointed it out, calculated. “J.M. Jim Moriarty.”

“Clever girl, Prometheus, but still too naive.” Moriarty teased her, but Eve ignored him as her gaze flicked over to John which the laser was still trained on him. Sherlock’s gaze did the same thing as well and his scent was all over the place, full on protective mode. Sterling managed to control his scent and emotion, even though there was someone threatening his omega friend now.

“Don’t be silly. Someone else is holding the rifle. I don’t like getting my hands dirty.” He mocked their worry. “I’ve given you a glimpse, Sherlock. Just a teensy glimpse of what I’ve got going on out there in the big bad world. I’m a specialist, you see. Like you.”

“Dear Jim, please could you fix it for me to dispose of my boyfriend’s nasty sister...?” Sherlock stated, like he was someone who triggered the case that’s part of their ‘game’, and it made Moriarty grinned.

“Dear Jim, please could you fix it for me to disappear to South America...?”

“Just so.”

“A consulting criminal.” Sherlock said in a serious tone, his amused tone was hidden underneath it.

“Isn’t it? No-one ever gets to me.” Moriarty sounded happy that someone finally understood him just a bit, then turned icy cold. “And no-one ever will.”

“I did.” Sherlock stated monotonically. “And so Prometheus, before she betrayed you and gone without a trace.”

“You’ve come the closest. But now you’re in my way.” He sounded so eerie with that.

“Thank you.”

“Didn’t mean it as a compliment.”

“Yes, you did.” Sherlock challenged him.

“Yeah, okay, I did. But the flirting’s over, Sherlock. Daddy’s had enough now. I’ve shown you what I can do. I cut loose all those people, all those little problems, even thirty million quid just to get you to come out and play. Did you like the Czech Republic thing? That’s what you might call a  _ leitmotif _ . Had you going there, didn’t I? But take this as a friendly warning, my dear. Back off.”

He sounded like he meant so much about it, he wouldn’t hesitate to get them killed. Sherlock smiled thinly at his threat.

“You know, I’ve loved this. This game of ours. It’s been a treat.” He sounded so proud about it as he removed the contact lens, revealing his blue eyes underneath brown eyes contact lens. Eve suddenly felt he was extremely familiar to her. “Playing Jim from IT. Playing gay. Did you like the little touch? With the underwear?”

“People have died.”

“That’s what people do!” He shouted, his angry shout echoed throughout the empty pool area. She jumped a bit from his tone and Sterling hugged her even closer.

“I will stop you.” A serious statement from Sherlock. It was the first time to see him this dead serious.

“No. You won’t.” Moriarty mocked.

“You ok?” Sherlock’s attention switched to John, who was frozen in fear and looked like he’s about to collapse at any minute. Eve actually wanted to rush to him to calm him, but with Moriarty’s presence and sniper’s threat, it was impossible to get close to him.

“You can talk, Johnny boy. Go ahead.” Moriarty teased John, slightly touching his mating gland. John got tense for a strange alpha touching the most sensitive part of an omega, an unmated omega, Sherlock looked like he’s about to jump at Moriarty for doing that. However, he couldn’t while John’s life was on the line, so John could only give him a small tight nod at him.

“Take it!” Sherlock took the memory stick from Eve’s hand and thrusted it to Moriarty. Sterling almost protested about it, but Eve held him back.

“What? Oh. That. Missile plans?” Moriarty took it boredly. “Boring. Could’ve picked them up any time.” And just threw it into the pool in disinterested.

While everyone was focused on the tossed memory stick, John took this moment and grabbed Moriarty from behind, confusing the sniper and effectively putting Moriarty in the line of fire and blast.

“John!” Eve shouted and about to go for John, but Sterling grabbed a hold of her.

“Eve, don’t! It’s too dangerous!” Sterling warned her.

“If your sniper pulls that trigger, Mr Moriarty, we both go up.” John hissed dangerously at Moriarty, but he was too eerily calm for someone who’s within the line of fire.

“Isn’t he sweet? I can see why you like having him around. But then, people do get so sentimental about their omegas.” Moriarty mockingly said that and then turned to John. “So touchingly loyal to your alpha. But - oops - you’ve rather shown your hand there, Dr Watson.”

The laser moved from John to Sherlock’s temple. Another laser appeared on her temple as well, threatening him with her as well.

“ _ Govno _ !” Sterling opened the nearest stall and shoved Eve inside, effectively blocking her from the line of fire and sight.

“Sterling!”

“Stay. Put.” Sterling ordered her with his Alpha Voice, forcing her to follow his order. Her omega instinct told her to obey the alpha command, but years of resisting alpha command paid off.

“No, you don’t use that on me!” Eve broke off from the command and refused to stay put. It surprised him because he didn’t expect she could resist him.

“No! I can’t put you in danger!”

“Always put the life of a civilian above yours, Agent.” Moriarty said to Sterling mockingly.

“Shut up, you sick bastard.”

A new stand-off. Sherlock with the pistol trained on Jim. The explosives-festooned John with his arms wrapped around Jim. The sniper’s rifle threatened Sherlock and Sterling. Feeling defeated, John let go of Moriarty and the laser moved back to John and the one on Sterling was gone, but they all knew it didn’t mean the snipers retreat. Moriarty just shrugged it off and fixed his expensive suit.

“Do you know what happens if you don’t leave me alone, Sherlock. To you?”

“Oh, let me guess. I’ll be killed.”

“Killed, nah, don’t be obvious. I mean, I’m gonna kill you anyway, some day - don’t want to rush it, though, saving it up for something special. No, if you don’t stop prying, I will burn you. I will burn the heart out of you.”

Even though Eve didn’t see him through the stall, she could imagine it. His voice as he said that he would burn the heart out of Sherlock was chilling, much more chiller than any criminals and assassins she had killed and it made her froze in fear.

He’s one of the kind.

“I am reliably informed I don’t have one.”

“But we both know that’s not quite true.”

It was common human emotion, no matter how Sherlock would deny it. She knew he had one and Moriarty would burn them all. An alpha who lost his pack to another Alpha was seen as weak Alpha and a fair game to be hunted and killed.

“Well, I’d better be off. So nice to have a proper chat.”

“What if I were to shoot you now? Right now?” Sherlock’s question didn’t sound like a question, more like a threat.

“Then you could cherish the look of surprise on my face.” Moriarty gave Sherlock a mocking “surprised” look to him before dropping it off and smirked. “Because I would be surprised, Sherlock. Really I would. And just a teensy bit disappointed. ‘Course, you wouldn’t be able to cherish it for very long.”

“Ciao, Sherlock Holmes.” With that, he turned around and walked away from the pool.

“Catch you...later.” Sherlock said it as he stalked forward to terrified John.

“No. You won’t.” His mocking tone echoed around the pool as the door closed.

The laser was dropped as soon as Moriarty left and Sherlock rushed to John’s side, maniacally ripping off the overcoat and Sterling tearing the explosives off from John. Eve quickly rushed to John and caught him the moment his legs were giving up, clinging to her as he seeked any comforts she offered. Sterling threw the explosives away almost in disgust and Sherlock rushed to the hallway where Moriarty left, only to find no one. Sterling was thrown apart to also go after Moriarty or stay to guard the omegas when they were vulnerable, but he decided to stay put to protect.

“Glad no-one saw that.” John commented as he sank to the floor together with Eve. “You both ripping all my clothes off in a darkened swimming pool. People might talk. “

“They will be… There’s two omegas and two alphas here, people will talk we’re having some sort of group sex in a deserted pool.” Eve joked about it.

“My boss will kill me for that.” Sterling answered her joke.

They were giggling a bit about that joke when suddenly, another laser light winked into life on John and Eve. Then one on Sherlock and Sterling. Then another and another and another until four of them covered in tiny, bobbing red lights. The sudden turn of event kicked off both Sherlock and Sterling’s alpha protective instincts and covered the omegas with their bodies with their guns trained to every side while John hugged Eve protectively.

“Sorry, boys and gal. I am so changeable. It’s a weakness with me. But, to be fair, it’s my only weakness.” Moriarty appeared once again on the other side of the pool.

“You can’t be allowed to continue. You just can’t.” He sighed, like he genuinely felt bad for this. “I would try to convince you, but...everything I have to say has already crossed your mind.”

Sherlock looked at Sterling with an unreadable expression, but Sterling knew what he was thinking, giving him a tight nod. Sherlock looked over John and Eve who were hugging each other to protect each other and gave him a nod, trusting their alpha friend.

“Then possibly my answer has crossed yours.” Sherlock trained his gun to the pile of explosives.


End file.
